


Soothing Apathy

by ArtemisLiCa



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-06 14:13:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 49
Words: 208,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4224780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtemisLiCa/pseuds/ArtemisLiCa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry's in his seventh year at Hogwarts and the war is still raging. At the beginning of the school year, Harry finds himself overcome by a strange sense of apathy. He knows he should probably be worried, but he can't help but feel grateful, especially as some shocking truths come to light.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lazy Afternoon

            Harry sighed as he lay back on the fragrant grass and closed his eyes. It was a warm day and he enjoyed the feel of the sun on his face.

            As he lay there he tried to push everything from his mind and just enjoy the moment. It was surprisingly easy.

            Harry was tired. Not physically, but emotionally, mentally. Right now…he just didn’t care. He couldn’t find it in himself to care at all about anything. Not the war or his friends or the fact that he wasn’t supposed to be out.

            For so long he had felt things so intensely. Event after event after event in his life had demanded strong emotions: grief, anger, relief, vengeance, fear. It seemed like he never had a chance to rest and relax and prepare for the next thing that was going to go wrong in his life.

            And then, it was like he had finally reached some threshold. Today, it was like the final straw. One thing too many had been demanded of him and he just couldn’t take anymore. It was like a switch was thrown and everything just shut down and the only emotion left to him was this…apathy.

            He never thought it would feel this good to feel nothing. He briefly reflected on how pathetic it was when feeling _nothing_ was the best he had ever managed in his life.

            Harry’s moment of peace was interrupted by a sneered, “Potter.”

            He opened one eye and peered up at the man standing over him. Draco Malfoy was standing not three feet away, looking down at him. Harry closed his eye again and ignored Malfoy’s usual sneering and insults and turned his attention back to the feel of the sun on his face.

            After a few minutes, silence returned. Harry again opened one eye and saw exactly what he had expected. Malfoy was standing over him, pointing his wand at Harry. Harry closed his eye again.

            _Let him hex me. Maybe he’ll use the killing curse and I won’t have to deal with Voldemort. If not, maybe he’ll use a curse or hex strong enough to land me in the infirmary for a few weeks. At least there…_

            “Potter!” Malfoy snapped.

            Harry opened both eyes and looked at the blond. “Malfoy, if you are going to do it, go ahead. I really don’t care right now.” Harry watched the frustration cross Malfoy’s face. He shook his head. “You’re welcome to join me.”

            Draco gaped at the raven haired man lying at his feet.

            Harry shrugged. “You could probably use a break about as much as I can. Just take a moment to not care. Not about anything. No worrying about the war or Dark Lords or pain in the ass friends. No thought to family obligations or responsibilities. No stupid House rivalries or our personal rivalry.” Harry closed his eyes and let out a small sigh. “Just take a moment to not care. You might be surprised at how good it feels.”

            There was a long moment of silence. Harry opened one eye and looked to his left at the sound of clothes rustling. He watched as Draco Malfoy lay down in the grass on his back next to him and then closed his eye again.

            There was another long moment of silence and then Harry heard the blond beside him let out a sigh. Harry made a small noise of agreement and then focused on the feel of the sunlight against his face.

***********************************

            Harry woke slowly. His mind was hazy and he felt warm. He couldn’t remember ever being so comfortable in his life. He inhaled deeply and a strange scent tickled his nose. It smelled good, so good. He’d never noticed anything like it before.

            His eyes blinked open and he noticed the waning sunlight of the late afternoon. As the haze of sleep lifted from his mind, he took in other details. The feel of his arm holding something close. The weight of something pressed against his side.

            As he looked down, the sight and feel of Draco Malfoy hit him simultaneously. The blond was pressed against his side with his head lying on Harry’s chest, an arm thrown over Harry’s waist and a leg thrown over one of Harry’s. It felt…good.

            Harry started to unconsciously rub a hand up and down Draco’s back. He realized the delicious smell he had noticed was Draco.

            Harry knew he should be upset or confused or something along those lines, but the apathy that had taken him over left no room for such things. At that moment, the only thing Harry felt was content.

            Harry’s hand came to rest on Draco’s hip and he let his eyes close and his mind drift.

            Sometime later, Harry had no idea how much later, he felt Draco stir. He opened his eyes as the other man sat up, but he left his hand on the blond’s hip. He saw Draco run a hand through his hair and then reluctantly, hesitantly look down at him. After a brief look, Draco turned away.

            Harry sat up, running his hand up from Draco’s hip up along the blond’s side. He felt Draco take a shaky breath and then turn to look at him again. Harry leaned closer and opened his mouth to say something-he had no idea what. Before Harry could find words, a look of fear and panic crossed Draco’s face and he stood and quickly walked away.

            Harry watched the blond leave and ran a hand through his hair. When Draco was out of sight, Harry noticed the chill of the coming night. Moving much slower, Harry stood and headed inside to Gryffindor Tower.

            During the long walk to the Tower, Harry’s thoughts were full of the peaceful afternoon he had just spent with, of all people, Draco Malfoy. He had no idea when this strange apathy would desert him or what it would leave in its place when it left, but he rather hoped whatever happened didn’t ruin the memory of contentment.

            Entering the Gryffindor common room, Harry looked around and sighed.

            Ron and Hermione pointedly turned their backs to him, still furious with him. They had been angry when Harry had not cheerfully and enthusiastically shouldered the newest burden he had been faced with.

            Ginny glared before giving him the same treatment. She was still in a snit. Harry had finally been able to make it clear to her that their break up was not temporary but was rather quite permanent. He had no intentions of ever going out with her again.

            Dean Thomas glared at him as well. Dean was still in love with Ginny and he blamed Harry for Ginny’s lack of interest in him. Seamus, as Dean’s best friend, was ignoring him.

            About the only Gryffindor Harry still felt he was on good terms with was Neville. He was sitting over in one corner writing furiously on a scroll, apparently trying to finish an essay that was due next week.

            Harry sighed again and walked up to his dorm. He grabbed some clothes and headed for the bathroom. He took a hot shower in an attempt to regain the warm feeling he had felt while lying in the sunlight, but it wasn’t the same.

            After his shower, Harry crawled into bed, feeling weary right down to his bones. 


	2. A White Lie?

            A week later Harry’s apathy was still firmly in place. He felt the occasional flash of strong emotion, but not any of the emotions he usually felt. There was no annoyance or anger or frustration. Harry came to the conclusion that it was some kind of mental self-defense mechanism; much like a person might lose consciousness when they experience too much pain.

            He knew he should probably be worried, but he couldn’t help being grateful.

            He was surprised, however, when no one really noticed. The other Gryffindors were either still too busy being angry with him or were too wrapped up in their own lives to notice. Professor McGonagall was too distracted by Hermione’s constant questions about the NEWTs, as were most other professors. Draco had been avoiding him since that afternoon they spent together.

            The only person who seemed to notice was Snape. Not only was Harry not snapping back at him or even really noticing the insults he was directing at Harry, but Harry’s Potions grade was steadily improving. With Ron not talking to him and the fact that Snape wasn’t getting to him, Harry was able to concentrate on his brewing or note-taking during class. With none of his friends paying him any attention, Harry was spending a lot more time on his homework and studying than he had ever before.

            When Harry was summoned to the Headmaster’s office at the end of the week, Harry assumed someone had finally noticed.

**************************************

            Harry knocked on the door to the Headmaster’s office and walked in when Dumbledore gave the command to enter.

            “Harry! Sit down, my boy,” Dumbledore said from behind his desk.

            Harry sat in one of the two chairs in front of the Headmaster’s desk.

            “Harry, my boy, I hope you have used this time I have given you to calm down,” Dumbledore said condescendingly.

            Harry frowned as he realized he had never noticed that before, the way Dumbledore spoke down to him.

            “Harry,” Dumbledore said disapprovingly, “many people are counting on you.”

            “I know, Headmaster.”

            Dumbledore frowned. “Harry, I know this may be somewhat frightening for you, but surely it can’t be that horrible a thought. You and Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger have been nearly inseparable from your first year at Hogwarts.”

            “I still don’t understand why it is necessary, Headmaster,” Harry said calmly.

            Dumbledore frowned and leaned back in his chair. He looked at Harry over his half-moon spectacles. “As I said before, Voldemort will be drawing on the power and strength of his Death Eaters. Even if you manage to get him alone for your final confrontation, he will still be able to call upon his followers. By going through with this ritual, you will be able to call upon Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger. You will have access to Mr. Weasley’s talent for strategy and Miss Granger’s extensive knowledge.”

            “Headmaster, if I understand this ritual correctly, I will be bound permanently to Ron and Hermione. And then there are the side-effects, the way that I will have access to Ron’s strategy and Hermione’s knowledge,” Harry said.

            Dumbledore frowned. “Yes, Harry. The ritual creates a permanent bond. But the mental connection forged that would allow you access to your friends’ talents will not be something you will have no control over.”

            Harry shook his head. “Let me see if I understand this correctly. The ritual will connect us permanently. It will create connections between our minds, our magic and even, to an extent, our souls. Not only will I be able to draw upon Ron’s and Hermione’s magic, but I will be able to access their minds as well. But, because they are my best friends and we don’t share the usual connections between those who go through with this ritual, we will not have any kind of mental barriers or protections until we spend a great deal of time working on them. Did I get that right?”

            Dumbledore nodded. “Yes. Usually this ritual is performed with a parent and a lover rather than two friends, but you don’t have either. With a parent and a lover there are natural mental barriers and protections that you will have to work with your friends to recreate, but you three are very strong minded. I have no doubt you will be able to manage.”

            Harry frowned. “Why a parent and a lover?”

            “Ah, well. The parent has a blood connection to the person ‘in the center’ as it were. The lover would have an intimate physical connection. Usually with this ritual both would also need to feel a degree of love for the person ‘in the center’ or connecting them. The natural mental barriers are there because no one wants their parent to have access to their minds, especially when it comes to their thoughts of a lover, and no one wants their lover to know every little thought they have. It would ruin a relationship. Friendship is different, however, and the ritual will provide no mental barriers for you. But as I said, I have no doubt you three will manage.”

            Harry nodded and even through his apathy he retained the certainty that this was not something he wanted to do. There was no way he was going to be permanently connected to his two best friends and let them have unrestricted access to his mind. He had enough problems keeping things private without a mental connection.

            He cared about them, but constant access to Ron’s temper and jealousy was not appealing. Nor was the thought of what Hermione would do with that kind of access to his mind. She tried to tell him what to do enough as it was, as well as always wanting to know every little detail of his life.

            No. It was not happening.

            “I’m glad you agree, Harry,” Dumbledore beamed at him.

            Harry looked at the old wizard and for the first time decided to just outright lie to the Headmaster and his two best friends. “Yes. However, it will have to wait until after NEWTs. It would be an unfair advantage for us to take the NEWTs after we have connected mentally and once Voldemort’s gone, don’t we deserve to be able to go on with our lives and get decent jobs?”

            “Well, my boy,” Dumbledore frowned. “I believe I may be able to delay a final confrontation between you and Voldemort that long.”

            Harry nodded.

            “I think it’s time for you to head back to the Gryffindor Tower, Harry.  Don’t want to be out after curfew.”

            Harry recognized the dismissal for what it was and left.

            Harry walked down the corridors of Hogwarts. He had no desire to go back to the Gryffindor common room.

            Harry found himself in the owlery with all of the owls. He sat on the ledge of one of the many windows. He sat sideways with his back pressed against one side of the open window, one foot just barely touching the floor and the other on the ledge he sat on. He rested his arm on his bent knee.

            Harry looked out the window and watched the clouds float across the sky. He didn’t turn when he heard someone else enter the room. He gave no sign he heard the other person approach.

            His hand shot out when he caught sight of a wand in his peripheral vision. He grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the wand and held it.

            Turning slightly, Harry found himself face to face with Draco Malfoy. Remembering the afternoon a week ago, Harry used his hand on Draco’s wrist to pull him closer. Draco moved slowly, but he let Harry pull him close, his eyes never leaving Harry’s face.

            Harry pulled until their bodies brushed and then he raised his other hand and gently laid it in the small of Draco’s back.

            “Why’d we ever become enemies, Draco?” Harry asked. He had no idea where the question came from or why it suddenly seemed so important. He just knew he had to ask.

            Draco glared. “You’re the one who refused my friendship. You’re the one who chose _Weasley_ over me.”

            Harry gently rubbed Draco’s back with his hand. “Why’d you make me choose?”

            Draco gritted his teeth and made a fist with his free hand. He turned his head and refused to answer.

            “Have you ever wondered what it would have been like had things gone differently?” Harry asked quietly.

            Draco tore himself out of Harry’s arms and ran out of the owlery and down the stairs.

            Harry watched him leave and turned his mind to the question he had asked. How different would things be right now if he and Draco had become friends before the sorting? Harry might have let himself be sorted into Slytherin. He and Snape might have learned to at least not hate each other.

            Harry frowned, trying to imagine Draco in Ron’s place. Something just felt off about that thought. Draco had always had his own place in Harry’s life. It felt wrong trying to fit him into someone else’s place. Hermione had often accused them of being obsessed with each other. Harry wondered what that obsession would have been if they hadn’t had so many barriers between them.

*************************************

            By the time Harry finally returned to Gryffindor Tower, everyone was asleep. He moved through the deserted common room and went upstairs to go to bed. He would tell Ron and Hermione tomorrow at breakfast about his talk with the Headmaster.


	3. Changes to the Status Quo

            Harry woke early and showered quickly. He headed down for breakfast before most of the other Gryffindors were awake.

            He was surprised when only a few moments after he sat down Neville joined him. The Great Hall was still almost empty. Not even all of the professors had made it to breakfast yet.

            “Hey, Harry,” Neville said as he sat down beside Harry.

            “Hey, Neville,” Harry replied.

            “Harry?” Neville asked after several minutes of silence.

            “Yeah?”

            “Are you okay? You seem…I don’t know. You’ve been acting strangely for more than a week now. Is everything okay?”

            Harry swallowed a bite of food. “Yeah, Nev. I’ve just been tired. Not just physically, you know?”

            Neville nodded. “Yeah.”

            They continued eating in silence. By the time the other seventh year Gryffindors joined them, Harry and Neville were sitting at the table studying.

            Ron sat down next to Harry and Hermione sat across from him. They both looked at Harry until he turned his attention to them.

            Hermione cleared her throat. “I heard you went to see the Headmaster, Harry.”

            Harry took a sip of pumpkin juice. “Yes. We talked and I finally understood why he said it was important…” Harry looked around. “…to work on keeping friendships strong.”

            Hermione nodded in understanding.

            Harry shrugged. “I told him it was something I would work on after NEWTs. I didn’t think it was a good idea to…neglect NEWTs.”

            Hermione looked horrified.

            “And he said, that yes, as long as I didn’t delay any longer, that would be okay.”

            Hermione gave a relieved sigh and then gave Harry a bright smile showing she understood what Harry was telling her and that she was no longer mad at him.

            Ron just sat there with a blank look on his face. Hermione rolled her eyes. “We are going to do it after NEWTs, Ron.”

            Harry saw understanding dawn on Ron’s face just as the snickers started. Ron blushed brightly as Seamus started teasing him and Hermione about ‘doing it after NEWTs.’

            Harry turned back to Neville and they continued to quiz each other.

************************************

            By lunchtime, Ron and Hermione were back to acting as if everything were normal. Harry noticed that they still didn’t notice his apathy. He found himself wondering just what that meant. Shouldn’t your two best friends of more than six years notice something like that?

            The three of them were sitting outside enjoying the warm weather when Draco and a few other Slytherins walked by.

            “Well if it isn’t Potty and his little friends,” Draco sneered.

            Harry looked up briefly, but returned his attention to his textbook as Draco started in on the insults. He ignored the whole scene as Ron went red in the face and started shouting, Hermione tried to act all calm and superior and Draco just kept sneering and tossing out insults.

            Harry looked up again when he felt eyes on him. He saw that while Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott were laughing at Draco’s insults, Blaise Zabini was looking at him and frowning. Harry raised his brows in a “What?” expression and then, when Zabini looked startled, Harry snorted and turned back to his textbook.

            It wasn’t much longer before they all had to leave to go to class. Harry noticed Zabini giving him a few looks as the two groups parted ways.

*************************************

            A few days later, Harry was again lying on his back in the grass when Draco found him.

            “Potter!”

            Harry opened his eyes and lifted his head off the ground to look at Draco. Draco sounded far more annoyed than usual.

            “What the hell was that about, Potter?” Draco demanded angrily.

            Harry’s brows lifted in surprise. “You’re going to have to be a little more explicit. What was what about?”

            “Lunch the other day!”

            Harry laid his head back down and closed his eyes. “I didn’t even say or do anything.”

            “Exactly!”

            Harry just shook his head.

            “Damn you, Potter!”

            Suddenly Harry felt a body land on him. He opened his eyes as Draco started hitting him.

            “That’s not the way it’s supposed to work and you know it!” Draco shouted as he hit Harry.

            Harry held his hands up and protected his face. He let Draco hit him a few more times and then Harry grabbed the blond’s hands and flipped them over so that he was lying on top of Draco. Harry pinned Draco’s wrists to the ground above his head.

            “I’m tired, Draco. I’m tired of all the fighting, tired of the stupid rivalries, tired of all the bullshit,” Harry said quietly. “If you want my attention, you are going to have to find another way to get it.”

            Harry rolled to his feet and walked away, leaving Draco lying stunned on the ground.

************************************

            A week after the lunchtime run-in, Harry was sitting in the library studying. Ron and Hermione had gone to Hogsmeade on a date and Harry was grateful for a little time alone. Ever since they ‘made up’ after their fight, Ron and Hermione had been spending a great deal of time with Harry. It seemed like he couldn’t get five minutes alone even to use the bathroom or take a shower.

            Harry looked up as someone joined him at the small table. He was surprised to see Blaise Zabini sitting with him. Zabini looked at him, apparently waiting for Harry to object or say something. Harry just shrugged and turned back to his homework.

            A few moments of silence passed and then Harry saw Zabini pull books out of his bag and set them on the table.

            They sat together and studied in silence for a couple of hours.

*************************************

            The next few weeks were unusual for Harry. He avoided Ron and Hermione when he could. He often used the excuse of studying to get away. When he managed to get away to study he was often joined by a silent Blaise Zabini. Draco Malfoy, on the other hand, was unusually quiet and distant.

            Probably the strangest thing was the…worry Harry would swear Snape was feeling over him. Snape still made his usual snide comments, but Harry could detect an undercurrent to his usual insults.

            Two months after the strange apathy had begun to affect him, Snape finally did something Harry was surprised one of the other professors hadn’t done long before. Of course, being Snape, he did it in his own way.

            “Potter!” Snape snapped.

            Harry looked up from where he was putting his book into his bag.

            Snape stood in front of the classroom with his arms crossed over his chest. He glared at Harry and waited for the other students to leave the classroom. When Ron lingered to wait for Harry, Snape turned his glare to him. “Mr. Weasley. Class is over.”

            Ron gave Harry a sympathetic look and left. Harry just waited patiently.

            “Mr. Potter. Do not think I have not noticed your recent change in behavior. No doubt it is the consequence of some _adventure_ ,” Snape sneered, “you have had recently. You may be foolish enough to believe that a lack of physical symptoms means a spell or potion is harmless, but I am not so ignorant. You will go to Madam Pomfrey and have a full check up. It would be just like you to collapse or some such thing in my classroom just to annoy me.” Snape turned his back to Harry and walked away. “And make no mistake, I will check with Madam Pomfrey,” he said over his shoulder.

            Harry shrugged and left the dungeons.

            Madam Pomfrey was puzzled when Harry told her Snape had sent him to have a full check-up. After an hour of tests, she sent Harry off with assurances that she could find nothing wrong.

            In the Great Hall during lunch, Harry watched Snape speak to Madam Pomfrey. After a brief exchange, Snape turned to frown at Harry. Seeing Harry watching him, Snape’s frown turned into a glare.

            Harry turned back to his lunch trying to decide if he really had seen what looked like concern on Snape’s face-concern for him.

******************************************

            Harry sat in the library, studying again. A few minutes later, he was joined by Zabini. As usual, not a word was spoken as Zabini took his books and ink and quill out of his bag.

            Several minutes had passed, silent as all previous occasions had been, before Zabini suddenly spoke.

            “I’m gay.”

            Harry looked up startled. “Uh…”

            Zabini just looked at Harry as if he hadn’t just randomly shared his sexual orientation.

            Harry felt slightly alarmed as he tried to guess why Zabini would want to share that information with him. “Uh, look, Zabini-” Harry began uneasily.

            Zabini gave a soft snort of amusement. “Relax, Potter. I’m not about to hit on you. I have no desire to be cursed into the next century.”

            “Okaaaaay,” Harry said. “Then why did you feel the need to tell me…?”  
            Zabini shrugged and turned back to his textbook.

            “Zabini,” Harry said in exasperation. “You can’t just leave it at that.”

            “Why not?” Zabini asked without looking up.

            Harry tilted his head as he looked at Zabini. “So, if I had just randomly ended the silence between us to announce that I was gay, you wouldn’t feel I needed to clarify my sudden declaration?”

            Zabini looked up and looked at Harry in silence for a moment. “You’ve been acting different lately, Potter. The other Gryffindor boys of our year have been acting weird around you and the Weasley girl has been alternately glaring at you and moping over you. And everyone noticed the little spat you had with Weasley and Granger.”

            Harry’s brows rose. “And…what? You think I’ve just figured out I was gay or something?”

            “Have you?” Zabini looked at Harry intently.

            Harry shook his head. “No. I figured that out over the summer.” He looked down at his textbook and started to continue reading the passage he had been in the middle of when Zabini had announced he was gay.

            “Did you just tell the others then?” Zabini asked, frowning.

            Harry looked up. “No. I hadn’t told anyone else.” He shrugged. “Well, except for you now. I did make it clear I was never getting back together with Ginny, though.”

            Zabini nodded and dropped his eyes back to his book. Harry did the same.

            “Potter.” Neither looked up from their books.

            “Zabini.”

            “I hadn’t told anyone else either.”

            “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

            Zabini made a sound of agreement.


	4. Letters

            Harry stood in the library at Grimmauld Place. It was the first day of Christmas break and three months since Harry had first felt the strange apathy.

            It had been difficult to get away. Everyone had expected him to go to the Burrow for the break. However, Harry had had enough of Ron and Hermione practically stalking him and he wanted to get away from them for a little while.

            The only thing he could think of as an excuse to get away was Ginny. He spent the last few weeks before the break telling Ron and Hermione how guilty he would feel going to the Burrow with things the way they were between him and Ginny. He had been _allowed_ to stay at Grimmauld Place as it still had all of the protections from when it had been used as Order headquarters.

            Now that the Order was too large to meet at Number 12, they were meeting at a farm owned by one of its members. Harry shouldn’t have to worry about anyone stopping by during the break. With the Order now using another location as headquarters, Harry figured he should be able to have some privacy.

            The only problem was that Harry was going to have a lot of free time on his hands without anyone else to distract him. He supposed he could clean the house up a bit.

            Harry found himself looking over the bookshelves again.  Maybe he could take a page out of Hermione’s book and do some reading.

            Harry turned from the bookshelves when he heard a tapping sound. He frowned and left the library, searching for the source of the sound.

            He finally found the source of the sound in the living room. He walked over and opened the window. A large owl flew into the room and dropped a large envelope on the coffee table before flying back out the window.

            Harry blinked in surprise. The owl hadn’t even waited for a treat.

            Harry shrugged and closed the window. Walking over to the coffee table, Harry picked up the envelope. His name was written on the front in gold. Turning it over, he saw a gold seal. After a moment Harry recognized the seal. The letter was from Gringotts.

            Harry frowned. Why would Gringotts be sending him a letter? Well, only one way to find out. He broke the seal and opened the letter. As he did so, he felt a tingle of magic.

            Harry was alarmed at the feel of the magic, but when it stopped after a few moments he calmed down. He pulled the letter out of the envelope and started reading.

 

_Mr. Potter,_

_Please excuse the magic you may have felt upon opening this letter. It was simply meant to ensure no one but you could open this letter. It will also, at the request of the person on whose behalf we are contacting you, prevent you from letting anyone know the contents of this letter._

_We are contacting you on behalf of your mother, Lily Evans. This letter is to request your presence at Gringotts bank on December 20 at 2 pm. Please bring this letter and show it to one of our representatives. You will then be directed to the appropriate office._

 

            Harry read the letter three times. His chest felt tight at the thought of his mother. He wondered what this was about, why his mother would do something like this. More that his curiosity, though, was the excitement he felt at contact with his mother, however indirect.

            Harry frowned and read the letter once more. Lily _Evans_? Why would it say Lily Evans and not Lily Potter?

*************************************

            A week later and Harry still had no answer to that question. It had been hard to wait for the appointed time and date. He had wanted to go to Gringotts as soon as he had gotten the letter, but he knew better. The goblins at Gringotts were sticklers for rules. The letter said December 20 at 2 pm and he would have to wait until then.

            He had spent the week cleaning up Number 12 and working through the books in the library. It had helped distract him somewhat, but he was relieved when the time finally arrived to go to Gringotts.

            Harry dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. He was glad he had gone shopping this past summer with Hermione after he was free to leave his muggle relatives. It was nice to have clothes that fit. After pulling on his sneakers, Harry slipped a robe on.

            He thought about grabbing his invisibility cloak, but decided against it at the last moment. Instead, he decided to try a spell he had found in one of the older books in the library. Similar to a Disillusion charm, it should keep anyone from noticing him. If anyone did notice him he would just say he was out Christmas shopping.

            After performing the spell, Harry Flooed to Diagon Alley. No one looked up as he stumbled into the Leaky Cauldron. Harry stepped away from the fireplace and looked around as he dusted himself off. The spell seemed to be working as no one even looked his way. Satisfied, Harry left the Leaky Cauldron and headed for Gringotts.

            Inside Gringotts, Harry approached the nearest goblin and handed over the letter he had been sent. He forgot he had not lifted the spell, but the goblin took the letter and had Harry follow him to a private room.

            _I’ll have to remember the spell doesn’t work on goblins. Or maybe it has something to do with the security precautions of the bank_ , Harry thought.

            The room Harry was led to was very stark. There was only a table with a goblin sitting across from two empty chairs.

            “Mr. Potter, sit down. We are waiting for another to join us and then we will get to the reason for your visit,” the goblin said.

            Harry sat in one of the empty chairs, subtly removing the spell he had used as he sat. If they were expecting a witch or a wizard, Harry didn’t want to give away the spell he used. He wondered who else was expected. If his mother was the one to set this up-Harry’s thoughts stopped as the door opened and revealed a familiar figure.

            “Snape?!” Harry said in surprise.

            “Potter,” Snape said coldly. He didn’t seem at all happy to see Harry.

            “Mr. Snape, if you will sit down, we can begin,” the goblin said. He waited for Snape to sit down. “My name is Thornspur. I am responsible for executing this clause of Lily Evans’ will.”

            “Evans?” Snape asked before Harry could. “Do you mean Lily Potter?”

            “Questions will not be answered at this point,” Thornspur said. “The clause of the will was quite explicit on the details of this meeting.”

            Snape glared at the goblin, but the goblin took no notice. Harry just waited.

            “To begin, Mr. Potter, you will need to read this letter,” Thornspur said.

            Harry reached across the table with a shaky hand. On the front of the envelope his first name was written in a flowing feminine script. Harry traced his name with one finger before turning the envelope over and breaking the seal. Slowly, he pulled the letter from the envelope. Just as slowly, he unfolded the parchment and began reading.

            When he finished reading the letter, he started again from the beginning. His disbelief didn’t fade a bit with the second reading. He just stared at the letter for a long moment before he suddenly burst out laughing.

            Harry laughed so hard he had trouble breathing and tears leaked from his eyes. Just when his laughter faded a bit and he managed to catch his breath, he caught a glimpse of Snape glaring at him and it set him off again.

            “Are you quite finished, Potter?” Snape asked coldly when Harry had to stop from lack of air.

            The question just set Harry off again. He waved the letter in Snape’s direction as he laughed.

            Severus Snape stared at the boy sitting next to him. He frowned more fiercely as he detected a hint of hysteria in the laughter. Reaching out, he took the letter Potter was waving in his direction.

            “Re-re-read it,” Potter gasped out.

            Severus turned the letter right side up and read it. And read it again. By the fourth time he had read the letter, he was feeling lightheaded. It felt like there was a band of iron wrapped around his chest, making it difficult to breathe. He only distantly noticed that Potter-Harry-had stopped laughing.

            “Mr. Snape,” Thornspur said. “There is also a letter for you.”

            Severus reluctantly handed Harry’s letter back to him and took his own letter. He took no notice of Harry staring at him. He reached out and took the envelope the goblin handed him. For a long moment, he stared at his name written on the front of the envelope in Lily’s handwriting. Taking a deep breath, he opened his letter and read.

 

_Dear Severus,_

_If you are reading this, it means I died without being able to tell you some very important things._

_First, I wanted to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry I reacted as I did when you told me you were joining Voldemort. I should have known better. I should have known you would never buy into that madman’s nonsense. I’m sorry it took so long for me to believe you when you tried to tell me you were trying to do the right thing. I know it couldn’t have been easy being a spy and I’m sorry for making it so much harder for you. In spite of how hard it was to hide our relationship, I never once regretted it no matter what I said._

_Second, I wanted you to know that I never betrayed you. I know how it looked when I married James, but it was never what you thought. I never loved him and nothing ever happened between us._

_James was gay and he was in love with Remus. That’s why he always hated you so much, you know. Remus respected you. He even liked you. James was so jealous. James wanted to be with Remus, but he knew his family would never let him be with a werewolf. They were okay with letting James be friends with one, but they would never have let James date Remus, much less marry him as James wanted._

_So when I went to James with my plan, he agreed eagerly. We would marry and after I had my baby, we would divorce. His parents would think they had a grandchild by a respectable witch and James would be free to be with anyone he wanted-he would be free to be with Remus. After he was married to Remus, he would tell them the truth._

_Being the smart man that you are, you’ve probably already guessed the truth. You are the only man I’ve ever been with, Severus. I was pregnant when I married James, but not with his baby. How could I be? I married James only about a month after the last time I saw you and we never ended things between us. Despite how it looked, Severus, I was never unfaithful. I’m pregnant with your baby. (Our little one has kicked me three times since I started this letter!)_

_You have every right to be furious with me, Severus. You deserved to know about our baby. You deserved to know that you are a father. My only excuse is that I am trying to protect you and our baby. I had planned to tell you the truth after the war is over._

_James has no idea that you are the father of my baby. There’s no way I could tell him, not with the way he feels about you. That’s why I decided to wait until our child was seventeen to tell you. If I died, James probably raised our baby. I don’t know how long the war will last, how long you will need to be a spy after I die, so I thought it best to wait._

_However, I couldn’t risk James making our child hate you. If I die and James lives, a letter will be sent to Remus telling him who the father of my baby is. He will keep James in line._

_If James and I both die before the end of the war, Sirius will be the one to raise our child. James has written a letter to explain things to Sirius. That letter, along with the one I wrote to Remus, will be delivered as soon as Sirius takes custody of my baby. I know you hate him almost as much as James. I’m sorry. I didn’t know who else I could trust. I would never let my child end up with my sister._

_I know I’ve mentioned she doesn’t trust magic, but I never told you the whole truth. My sister wasn’t just a brat, like I let you believe. She is a bitter woman. The things she has said to me, the way she talks about witches and wizards…I could never let that woman near my child. Sadly, I simply would not trust my own sister with my child._

_Please forgive me, Severus. I’m only trying to do what’s best for our baby. I love you and I hope you can understand._

_Love,_

_Lily_

_P.S. I hope you don’t mind that I had this set up for our anniversary. The day was always special for us and I guess I wanted it to be special for our child too._

 

            Severus just stared at the parchment after he finished the letter. He could hardly believe what he had just read.

            He always knew, from the timing, that Lily would have had to have cheated on him with James Potter to have had his child, but he had always thought she had used the spell to see who the father was and that was why she had married James; because he was the one who had gotten her pregnant. At the very least he had thought Potter would have made sure he was the father.

            To find out that Lily had _not_ betrayed him, that she had had _his_ son…. Severus felt sick. James Potter may not have been around to teach his son to hate him, but then, Severus had done an excellent job of that himself.

            For years he had looked at Harry Potter and seen the man he hated, the man that had stolen the woman he loved. He also saw the woman who had betrayed him. On very rare occasions, he saw the woman he loved, but that never slipped through in the way he had treated the boy.

            Now…to learn the truth was a hard thing for Severus. That it was the truth, he had no doubt. It answered so many questions he had had, made clear so many things that hadn’t made sense. It was also easy to prove one way or another. No, Severus had no doubt the letter contained the truth.

            Harry Potter was his son.


	5. Explanations

            Harry watched Snape as he read his letter. The letter seemed to be much longer than the one his mother had left for him. Harry read through his letter once more as he waited for Snape to finish his.

 

_To my little one,_

_Well, I suppose you are not so little anymore if you are reading this. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you and I’m sorry I never had the chance to tell you this in person. I know this may be difficult for you to accept and I wish I could be there to make it easier for you._

_The man you will have grown up thinking of as your father, James Potter, is actually not your father. James and I were both in love with other people, people we couldn’t be with, when we married. James and I were friends, but we were never anything more._

_Your real father is a very brave man. He joined Voldemort and took the dark mark in order to provide our side with a spy. It is a dangerous job. You should be proud of him._

_It was in an effort to protect you and him that I married James. We never told anyone that you were not James’ child. James does not even know your real father’s name._

_Please don’t be angry with your father for not being there for you. I never even told him about you. I let him think I left him for another man. I didn’t. I still love your father and I’m proud to have his child._

_Growing up with either James or Sirius, I don’t know what you may have heard about your father, but he is someone you can be proud of. I doubt you will have ever met him, but he should be in the room with you when you receive this letter. His name is Severus Snape._

_He can be a difficult man and I’m sure his time as a spy will have left its mark on him. Don’t let that stop you from getting to know him. I’m sure any child of ours will be stubborn enough to get to know the warm man underneath that mask all Slytherins seem to wear._

_Know that I will always love you and I’m sorry for any pain this may cause._

_Your loving mother,_

_Lily Evans_

 

            Harry shook his head and turned back to Snape. Like the moment when he woke to find himself holding Draco Malfoy, he knew he should be upset or horrified or angry, but he wasn’t. He still felt occasional flashes of that semi-hysterical amusement, but for the most part he couldn’t really define what he felt. He felt mixed-up and confused.

            Harry watched the emotions flash across Snape’s face. For once, Harry saw expressions other than disdain or anger or hatred or frustration. He saw shock and sadness and pain. Harry suspected he wasn’t the only one feeling a little mixed-up.

            For years, he and Snape had been enemies. Now, they were learning that the entire basis for their animosity was a lie. But while the foundation crumbled, there was still all of the history they had built up between them over the years.

            Harry had no idea what to expect now, not from Snape, not even from himself. His mother had written of Snape being a warm man, a man she was proud of, a man she loved. She also acknowledged he could be a difficult bastard.

            He sighed and ran a hand through his hair and then frowned. If James Potter wasn’t his father, where had the traits come from that Harry had always thought he had inherited from him?

            Harry was brought out of his thoughts as Snape cleared his throat and looked up. He avoided looking at Harry and instead turned his attention to Thornspur.

            “Now if you don’t mind.” The goblin held out a dagger. “I need a drop of blood from each of you. Just here.” He pointed to two symbols on a parchment. “It will provide proof of your blood connection.”

            Harry looked at Snape nervously. The older man did not look at him, but picked up the dagger and pricked his finger and let a drop of blood fall on the symbol on his side of the parchment. After the goblin cleaned the dagger, Harry followed suit.

 The parchment glowed briefly and then writing appeared under the symbols. It was a confirmation of their blood relationship as father and son.

            The goblin nodded and removed the parchment and dagger from the table.

            “To answer your original question, Lily Evans and James Potter had a prenuptial agreement. The agreement stated that, in the event of James Potter’s death, Lily Potter would once again become Lily Evans. As Mr. Potter died before she did, she was Lily Evans when she died,” Thornspur said.

            Harry and Severus just stared at the goblin blankly. While certainly something they wanted to know, both felt there were many more important questions that needed to be answered.

            “Now that it has been confirmed that Mr. Potter is Mr. Snape’s son, there are several points that I am to explain to you. First, Miss Evans used a spell to change the appearance of her son in order to make him more closely resemble the man she married. It was not a permanent spell and may be reversed at any time, but only by someone with a close blood connection or Mr. Potter himself. This,” Thornspur pulled out another sheet of parchment, “is the counter spell. It also includes the original in case it should be necessary for any reason to restore the spell.”

            “Just my appearance? I’ve often been told I act like my-like James Potter as well,” Harry said uneasily. He had always thought he had gotten his Quidditch skills from James Potter and he didn’t like the thought that something that meant so much to him might be taken away.

            Snape cleared his throat. “Many of the things people were quick to attribute to James Potter, you may well have gotten from your mother. It was common knowledge, for example, that your mother was a better Quidditch player than Potter. But as she never joined the Gryffindor team, most people remember Potter as the star Quidditch player and would likely suggest your skills came from him.” He spoke without once looking at Harry.

            Harry wondered briefly if Snape had used Legilimens on him. Then Snape’s words sunk in and he frowned. “Why wouldn’t she join the team?”

            “At first because she couldn’t stand Potter and Black, but later because one of the other Gryffindors on the team had gotten on her bad side by…insulting a close friend of hers. She refused to join when the other person made the team even though she had won a position during tryouts,” Snape said.

            “You mean someone gave her a hard time because of her relationship with you,” Harry said.

            Snape nodded once sharply.

            Once he had their attention again, Thornspur continued. “The spell only effects appearance. However, there was a second spell, a binding spell that was used to simulate the effects of sharing the blood of James Potter. That is, it prevented anyone from noticing that you were not his son by blood by allowing you the same privileges as someone who was a Potter by blood.”

            Harry paled as a thought struck him. “Access to the Potter vaults, for example?”

            Thornspur nodded. “Yes. It was done with the help of James Potter, or it would not have worked. However, Mr. Potter named you as his sole heir in his will so you have access to nothing that is not rightfully yours.”

            “Is that spell also reversible?” Harry asked.

            “Yes.” The goblin produced a slim book. “It was slightly more complicated. However, once the spell is broken, it cannot be recreated.”

            Harry nodded.

            “Lastly, Miss Evans wanted me to give you this.” The goblin pulled out what appeared to be a certificate of some kind. “It is the correct birth certificate. It has the name she had originally intended for her son. Mr. Snape, you will need to sign it and Mr. Potter you will need to add a drop of your blood to it for it to be finalized and sent to the records department at the Ministry of Magic.”

            Harry stared at the certificate blankly. His mother had…? Of course she had. She had said she had loved Snape. Why wouldn’t she want her child to share his father’s name? He reached over and took the certificate.

            “Harry Sebastian Tobias Snape,” he read out loud. “Well, it doesn’t sound completely awful. Harry Snape just sounds…weird, though. Would have been better to have just left it off,” Harry said to himself. “Sebastian Snape. Hmm. Yeah, that sounds better. Can’t say I could ever see myself as a Sebastian, though.”

            Snape interrupted Harry’s mumblings. “Harry was her father’s name. Tobias was my father’s name.” He took the certificate out of Harry’s hands. He stared down at it. “We had talked once about baby names. We both liked Sebastian, but we disagreed as to which of our father’s names to use for the middle name. When we agreed to use both, we didn’t like how they sounded together. This was the name we both decided we liked. Lily said if we ever had a son she was going to use this name.”

            Harry watched Snape swallow hard and saw the sadness on his face.

            The goblin pushed the parchment and the book with the spells his mother had used across the table. “These are yours, Mr. Potter. The certificate belongs to both of you.” He rose from his chair and then walked over to the door, signaling that the meeting was at an end.

            Harry and Snape rose and traded uneasy looks. Harry didn’t know about Snape, but he could use a little time alone to deal with this revelation.

            “Um,” Harry said awkwardly. “Would you like to, uh, come by Grimmauld Place tomorrow and, uh, talk?” Harry shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable.

            Snape cleared his throat, but then simply nodded and left. Harry said nothing as Snape took the birth certificate with him.

            After once again performing the spell he had found in the book in the library at Number 12, Harry made his way to the bank lobby. He paused to assure himself that the spell was working correctly before leaving and heading back to Number 12.


	6. Revealing

            After leaving Gringotts, Severus headed for Malfoy Manor.

            The Dark Lord had wanted to make the Manor his headquarters, but fortunately the wards at Malfoy Manor prevented anyone from setting foot on the grounds that had any thought of commanding any Malfoy. Some of the earliest Malfoys had strong opinions about anyone coming into their home and thinking they were in charge. Several generations of very dark and very strong wards prevented even the Dark Lord from setting foot on the estate.

            Severus headed straight for the study where Lucius was waiting for him.

            Lucius had been his best friend since their third year at Hogwarts. They had been close friends since their first year. When Severus joined the Dark Lord as a spy, Lucius had agreed to do the same. However, as he saw little difference between Dumbledore and the Dark Lord, he sent all of his information through Severus, refusing to align himself with Dumbledore directly.

            Only Severus knew Lucius’ true loyalty and only Lucius knew the truth of what had happened between Severus and Lily. When Severus had received a letter a week ago requesting his presence at Gringotts on his and Lily’s anniversary, Severus had not hesitated to tell Lucius.

            Severus walked into the study and saw Lucius standing at the bar in the corner.

            “Severus, there you are,” Lucius said, holding out a glass.

            Severus walked over and took the glass. He emptied the glass in one shot and handed it back in a silent request for more alcohol. Lucius raised an eyebrow and refilled the glass.

            “That bad, then?” Lucius asked neutrally.

            Severus took his newly filled glass and sat in one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace. Lucius sat down across from him and waited.

            Severus thought for several minutes about how to tell his friend what he had learned at Gringotts. In the end, he simply passed over Lily’s letter to him.

            Lucius raised an eyebrow and then read the letter.

            Severus sipped his drink as he watched his friend reach the end and then start again. When Lucius looked up, he gave Severus an incredulous look. Severus nodded. When Lucius opened his mouth to speak, Severus handed over the birth certificate. Lucius read the name and then handed Severus the letter and the certificate and got up to poor himself another drink before sitting down again.

            “Well,” Lucius drawled.

            Severus snorted.

            “Have you thought about how you are going to approach this subject with…Harry?” Lucius asked.

            “He was there. He received a similar, much less detailed, letter,” Severus said.

            “How did he react?”

            “When we arrived he was given his letter first. After he read it, he laughed.”

            “He laughed?”

            “Until he couldn’t breathe and was crying. It sounded slightly hysterical.” Severus took a sip of his drink. “He was still laughing when he handed the letter to me and let me read it.”

            “Did he try to deny it?”

            “No. Even if he had, the goblin used a version of the spell that determines a child’s paternity. It confirmed that…the letter was accurate.”

            Lucius frowned. “He looks a lot like James Potter.”

            “Lily was clever. She used a spell to adjust his appearance and a binding spell to simulate the blood connection to Potter. Both are reversible. She left the instructions for reversing the spells to…Harry.” Severus took another sip of his drink.

            They were silent for a while.

            “What are you going to do now?” Lucius asked.

            “I am meeting with him tomorrow to talk. Beyond that…” Severus shrugged.

            Lucius nodded.

*************************************

            Harry was in the library when Snape arrived. They had not agreed on a specific time, so Harry hadn’t known when to expect the Potions Master. He decided that the library was as good a place as any to meet especially since it was the room he had spent the most time cleaning up.

            Harry had brought a mirror into the library. He wanted to see what he was really supposed to look like. He knew he would have to change back before anyone else saw him and he would have to keep his ‘Potter’ appearance at least until after Voldemort was dealt with. Still, he was curious.

            Harry was reading another of the old books in the library when he heard someone behind him. Turning around, Harry saw Snape standing in the doorway. Harry stood and waited for Snape to say something.

            It seemed Snape was waiting for Harry to say something. Finally, Harry motioned towards the chairs near the fireplace. “Uh, would you like to sit down?”

            Snape inclined his head. He closed the door behind him and placed several spells on the door and then walked over and sat down. Harry assumed he used privacy charms or something similar.

            Harry crossed the room and sat down across from Snape. This time Harry was determined to let Snape make the first move. They just looked at each other for a long time.

            Finally, Snape ran a hand over his face and muttered, “I don’t even know where to begin.”

            Harry didn’t really know what to say either. Finally he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Well, this explains why the sorting hat wanted to put me in Slytherin.”

            Snape gaped at him. It was not a look Harry had ever seen on the man’s face before and he was tempted to laugh. However, he didn’t think this was a good time.

            “What?” Snape asked.

            Harry nodded. “The sorting hat’s first choice for me was Slytherin.”

            Severus stared at the boy sitting across from him and tried to wrap his mind around a concept as foreign as Harry Potter being his son. Suddenly, Severus smirked. “Well, that explains how you were able to get away with so much. You have a Slytherin’s cunning.”

            Harry laughed. “Oh, is that what it’s called?”

            Once again they drifted into silence. After a bit, Harry said, “This is strange, isn’t it? Sitting here, being polite.”

            Severus snorted. “Indeed.” Severus frowned. “I’m surprised you could get away from the Weasleys. Yesterday and today. What did you tell them?”

            Harry shook his head. “I didn’t go to the Burrow for break. I’m staying here.”

            “Alone?” Severus scowled.

            Harry shrugged. “I needed some time alone.” Seeing Snape getting ready to argue, Harry shot to his feet. “Hey, there’s something I was wondering about.” He walked over to the table he had been sitting at and picked up a piece of parchment and came back. He handed the parchment to Snape and then sat down.

            Severus’ brows rose. Harry had handed him the counter-spell to the spell that had altered his appearance. It looked fairly simple considering the spell had lasted so long without being detected or fading. He looked up and saw Harry looking at him expectantly. “You want to do this now?”

            Harry nodded. “Yeah. I want to know. I’ll have to change it back before I go back to Hogwarts, but I want to know.”

            Severus nodded and then raised his wand. He lowered it again when Harry burst out laughing.

            “Sorry!” Harry said. “It’s just…I can’t believe I’m letting you point a wand at me, let alone asking you to perform a spell on me. Not too long ago, if you had pointed your wand at me I would have reached for mine.” Harry chuckled.

            Severus managed not to flinch at Harry’s words. There was no denying that they were true. It didn’t make it any less painful for Severus to hear such things from his son. He knew they had a long way to go before he could even hope to claim the title of ‘Father,’ but there was a time when he had thought he and Lily would have a family together, when he had thought he would be a father and it hurt to think of how badly he had messed up. He had always hated Harry for being another man’s son. Now that he knew Harry was _his_ son, hatred was simply not an option for him.

            “Would you rather I didn’t…?” Severus asked neutrally.

            Harry waved a hand at him. “I wouldn’t have asked if I really had any doubts.”

            Severus nodded and performed the spell. He watched as Harry changed.

            Harry felt the magic sweep through him. It was not an altogether pleasant feeling. His whole body felt numb and then he felt the pins and needles sensation he got when his arm or leg fell asleep, only he felt it over his entire body. He blinked rapidly as his vision went blurry. The icy feeling in his muscles contrasted sharply with the burning feeling in his bones.

            Finally it ended. Harry frowned as he realized his vision was still blurry. He reached up and removed his glasses and then blinked as the room came into focus. The first thing he saw was Snape looking quite shocked. Harry tossed his glasses down on the table next to his chair and went over to the full length mirror he had set up.

            Even before Harry saw his reflection, he noticed other changes. He felt the way his body moved differently. He moved more smoothly, more gracefully. He watched as he approached the mirror. He did! He moved with that seemingly unnatural grace that Snape possessed.

            Reaching the mirror Harry looked at himself and catalogued the changes.

            Instead of his thinness making him look gaunt he looked wiry, lean. He looked like he _should_ look after practicing Quidditch for years and doing a lot of physically demanding chores for his muggle relatives. Apparently Potters don’t do thin well. Harry no longer looked like he would die of starvation if he missed one meal.

            Focusing on smaller details, Harry noticed his hair was no longer an untamable birds’ nest. His hair was perfectly straight and still midnight black. As he reached up to touch his hair, he noticed his hands. There was not a big change in his hands, but his fingers looked slightly longer and thinner.

            Finally, Harry found the courage to look at his face. His eyes were still bright green. His nose was, thankfully, unchanged. The changes in his face were more subtle. He couldn’t even decide on what, exactly, had changed. His face just had a slightly sharper look. It wasn’t that his features looked sharp, really. His face was just less soft looking.

            Harry tilted his head this way and that. He realized that the biggest change was that he no longer looked a few years younger than the other guys in his year. He looked his age. Harry frowned. He was also, if he wasn’t mistaken, taller. Not a great deal, but still noticeably taller.

            Taking a step back, Harry took in the whole picture again. He no longer looked anything like James Potter’s son. Really, there was no mistaking who his father was with the way he looked now.

            At the same time, he hadn’t changed so much he felt like he was looking at a completely different person. Enough stayed the same that he could still see himself in the reflection in the mirror. It made sense, he supposed. The spell only changed what he had gotten from his father. There was no reason to change what he had gotten from his mother.

            If Harry were honest, he had to admit he kind of liked the changes. He kind of thought he looked…more attractive. He frowned at the thought.

            “Afraid Miss Weasley won’t like the changes?” Snape asked from behind him.

            Harry snorted and met Snape’s eyes in the mirror. “I couldn’t care less what Ginny thinks of my looks.” Harry turned his attention back to his reflection.

            “Oh? Has some other girl caught your attention?” Harry noticed that Snape managed to avoid the snide tone a question like that would usually carry.

            Harry looked at Snape in the mirror again for a long moment and then turned his eyes to his own reflection once again. “More like a certain guy.” Harry looked back at Snape quickly to catch his reaction.

            Severus blinked in surprise at Harry’s admission. He was shocked Harry would tell him something like that. While Severus’ animosity had been based on his hatred of James Potter, Harry’s animosity towards him had been based on his treatment of Harry since he started at Hogwarts. Severus schooled his features into a neutral expression and said, “You get that from your mother.”

            Harry looked at him in disbelief for a moment before he burst out laughing.


	7. Trying

            Harry turned from the mirror and walked back to his chair in front of the fireplace. He couldn’t believe that Snape had actually made a joke. He shook his head as he sat down.

            He saw Snape still looking at him strangely. He grinned, wondering what Snape thought of his new look. Snape blinked at his grin. Harry reached up and played with his straight hair.

            “Would you like me to change you back now?” Snape asked.

            “No, not yet. I think I want get used to it.”

            Snape raised an eyebrow and Harry shrugged.

            “So…” Harry said, not sure where to go next. He frowned as a thought occurred to him. “The other spell…”

            “What about it?”

            “Once it is broken, it’s gone for good.”

            “Yes.”

            “Well, before we do that then, we should probably talk about what will change.”

            “Actually as James Potter’s heir and given that there are no other Potters left, it won’t really make a difference. As it was with Black, despite the lack of blood connecting you, you will still be seen as the last of the Potters when it come to family wards and such.”

            Harry was impressed with how neutral Snape managed to sound when talking about James Potter and Sirius Black. “So there’s no reason not to get rid of the other spell then?”

            “Getting rid of the spell will break your connection to James Potter,” Snape said impassively. “Other than that there should be no effect.”

            Harry rolled his eyes. “Let’s do it then.” He saw a flicker of surprise cross Snape’s face and he shrugged. “For so long, I thought James Potter was my father,” Harry said, struggling to find the words to explain. “But until I was eleven I was told the man was a drunk who had gotten himself and my mother killed when he decided to drive after a night of drinking.”

            Severus couldn’t hide his shock at that. He knew Lily’s sister didn’t like magic, but he never thought she would tell Harry a story like that about his parents.

            Harry nodded. “And then, when I went to Hogwarts, I learned he and my mother were not muggles killed in a car crash, but were a wizard and witch who had been killed by Voldemort. It was nice to think that my parents weren’t just ‘good-for-nothing drunks’ as I had always been told.”

            Severus felt fury wash through him at the thought of anyone calling Lily a ‘good-for-nothing drunk.’ Perhaps he should encourage the Dark Lord to make a visit. Or better yet, perhaps he would go himself.

            Harry waved a hand. “But when it came to what I knew of James Potter, the man I had always thought was my father, all I knew was that he was good at Quidditch and later I learned that he was a bully. I like Quidditch. I’m good at it. It was nice to think I shared something with one of my parents. But I never liked thinking I was the son of a bully.

            “And really, as much as I have always _wanted_ to know more about my parents, the man is still a stranger. Now I find out I get my Quidditch skills from my mum and I don’t have any connection to him…” Harry shrugged, uncomfortable. He knew he wasn’t explaining very well. “I just don’t feel like it’s right for me to keep a false connection.” He frowned, frustrated at his inability to explain.

            “As long as you are certain,” Snape said, “I can remove the spell.”

            Harry tilted his head a bit. “What do you think? About…about this,” Harry said, waving his hand to indicate his changed appearance, “about the binding spell, about the whole situation?”

            Snape was silent for so long, Harry thought he wasn’t going to answer. Finally, Snape said, “I don’t know.”

            Harry nodded. He could understand that. He wasn’t entirely sure what he thought about this yet either.

            “I suspect this is both easier and more difficult for me than it is for you,” Snape continued, staring into the fire.

            Harry stared at Snape. While the man had been a complete bastard to him and had done his best to make Harry’s life hell, he _had_ saved Harry’s life on numerous occasions. And, while Harry still wasn’t sure Snape should have taken it out on him, he could understand why Snape was so angry and why it might have been hard for the man to see Harry. From what Harry understood, Harry was proof that the woman Snape had loved had betrayed him with another man, a man who turned out to be his most hated rival.

            And then there was the fact that Harry could have a father. If he and Snape managed to figure things out, he would have someone alive that he was related to, someone who wouldn’t treat him like a freak for being a wizard. Someone who might tell him about his mother; like the thing about how his mother was so good at Quidditch even though she had never joined her House team.

            Of course, there was also the fact that people hated Snape, and for good reason. Even his mother had admitted the man could be a bastard. However, Harry had learned years ago to not care what other people thought. The media, the public, hell even best friends could be fickle in their support.

            Harry held on to that thought for a moment. Not everyone hated Snape. The Slytherins liked him just fine. Harry was already thinking he might be becoming friends with Zabini and given who his parents _actually_ were he no longer felt like it would be disloyal to ignore House rivalries.

            The Gryffindors would probably disagree, especially with the war going on, but the only one Harry would probably miss as a friend was Neville. And while Neville might be terrified of Snape, Harry doubted he would turn his back on Harry for being Snape’s son.

            Ron and Hermione…well, if they were really his friends they wouldn’t turn their backs on him either. Harry felt a little guilty for thinking it, but after the way they had been _stalking_ him these past few months he wasn’t sure he would be all that disappointed if they did. If they decided to support him, Ron would probably keep up a steady stream of pitying/insulting comments and Hermione would probably go on and on about how he should use this information to ‘help’ people.

            “Harry,” Snape drawled, bringing Harry out of his thoughts.

            Harry blinked and then gave Snape a questioning look. He suppressed his grin. Snape was frowning at him. Harry could tell he was making an effort to tone down his usual glare. “How about a truce?” Harry asked.

            Snape raised an eyebrow. “A truce?”

            Harry nodded. “Yeah. It would be dangerous for other people to find out about this so we will have to continue to treat each other as we always have in front of others, but when we are alone we can try,” Harry waved a hand, “more of this. Talking, being polite, you know, just…trying.” He shrugged.

            Snape nodded slowly.

            “So?” Harry asked after a moment, returning to their earlier topic of conversation. “Can we get rid of the other spell?”

            “You have the book?”

            “Yeah,” Harry stood and got the book off the table.

            “It might be easier to sit on the sofa for this,” Snape said, frowning as he flipped through the pages of the book.

            Harry shrugged and they moved over to the sofa.

            Harry waited patiently as Snape read. He certainly wasn’t about to rush the man trying to figure out how to perform a complicated spell on him.

            “Very well. Ready?” Snape asked, looking up.

            Harry nodded. Snape began moving his wand back and forth over Harry while muttering under his breath. Harry sat still and hardly dared to breathe. It was several minutes before Harry noticed anything.

            The air in front of him became hazy. Slowly an image became clear. It looked like a web made up of different colored lines with the ends connected to Harry. There was a bright red line with a deep burgundy line several shades darker closely intertwined with it. There was also a murky blue-green line more loosely woven around the others.

            Harry looked over and noticed Snape scowling at the image. Harry watched Snape pick the book up again and flip through it. “What?” Harry asked nervously.

            “It is not supposed to look like that,” Snape said absently.

            “What?” Harry asked.

            “Lily and I both enjoyed creating our own spells. This spell was created so I could see the binding spell that had been used on you. Then I was supposed to use the appropriate counter-spells in the right order to remove the binding spell,” Snape replied. He looked up from the book and scowled at the image floating in the space between them. “According to Lily’s notes, that,” Snape indicated the web of colored lines, “shows that there are _three_ binding spells on you.”

            “Three?!” Harry asked. He paled as something occurred to him. “Could Voldemort-?”

            “No,” Snape cut in. He shook his head. “This one,” he pointed to the murky blue-green line, “was obviously done by someone not very powerful or very skilled. In fact, it looks as if it has been seriously botched. I would be quite surprised if it actually did what the caster intended for it to do.”

            “That doesn’t mean it isn’t having an effect, though, does it?”

            “No. I am not certain what it is doing, but it does seem to be affecting you.” Snape frowned. “It is obviously much more recent than the other two.”

            “And the other two?”

            “One, this bright red one, is the one your mother mentioned. The other is not dark enough to be the Dark Lord’s work.”

            “It looks dark enough to me,” Harry muttered. “Is there any way to find out who is responsible for the spells? And do you think you could get rid of them?”

            “Perhaps. I’m not sure I want to try removing them without knowing more about them. Especially this one,” he pointed to the burgundy colored line. “It has been in place nearly as long as the one Lily placed on you.”

            “So how do you do that?”

            Snape frowned. “I should be able to make some adjustments to the original spell Lily created for making the binding spell clear. It’s going to take some time and I will need to study her notes.”

            Harry grimaced. “How soon do you think you can…?”

            “At the very least, I am sure I can alter the spell enough for us to learn more about the other two binding spells before the end of the break. I doubt the spells will be removed before we return to Hogwarts.”

            Harry sighed. “Well, they’ve been there this long, I suppose I’m hardly going to notice any difference just because I know about them now.” Harry saw Snape nod distractedly and look at the book in his hands again. He guessed Snape was eager to start. His eyes lifted and drifted around the room.

            “You, um, are welcome to stay here and work on it. I would imagine if you stayed at Hogwarts you might have to deal with Dumbledore,“ Harry said, thinking about last Christmas when he had stayed at Hogwarts. Dumbledore had tried all break to get Snape into the Christmas spirit. Harry had kept expecting Snape to reach the end of his patience and hex the old man.

            Snape looked up, surprised.

            Harry shrugged. “I have to go to the Burrow on Christmas Eve and stay until after dinner Christmas Day and I’ll probably go to Fred and George’s and get them to go shopping with me the day before Christmas Eve. Other than that I’ll be here alone. You would have plenty of room and plenty of quiet.”

            Snape looked at Harry for a bit and then nodded. “It’s a good idea. Certainly better than staying at Hogwarts. I’ll need to get some books of mine from Hogwarts, though. I’ll come back tomorrow morning to get started.”

            Harry nodded and stood up when Snape did and walked with him towards the door.

            Snape stopped and frowned. “Your appearance.” He lifted his wand, but Harry shook his head. Snape lowered his wand and raised an eyebrow.

            Harry shrugged. “You’ll be back tomorrow morning, right?”

            Snape inclined his head.

            “Well, I’m not expecting anyone between now and then.”

            Both of Severus’ brows rose. “You want me to leave you like that?”

            “Why not? If I live long enough, there’s going to come a time when I’m going to look like this all the time. No reason I can’t start getting used to it now.”

            Severus managed to keep his face impassive as he nodded once more and removed the spells from the door. He was surprised to hear Harry say he would one day want to remove the spell permanently. Severus had halfway expected him to hate the thought of looking like his hated Potions professor and to want to keep the look he had always known.

            Harry stood awkwardly in the doorway to the library as Snape stepped into the hallway. “So. Tomorrow then.”

            Snape jerked his head in a short nod and then he walked down the hall.

            Harry turned and went back into the library. He watched himself in the mirror as he walked across the room to the table he had been sitting at when Snape arrived. It was strange. He felt the changes, but rather than feeling strange they felt…natural. He watched his hands as he turned a page in the book on the table before shaking his head and sitting down to continue reading.


	8. Pizza

            As he had the day before, Severus once again found himself in Malfoy Manor heading for the study. Once again, Lucius was waiting for him with a glass of alcohol on hand. Severus actually managed to sit down before taking a sip of his drink this time.

            Lucius sat down across from him and merely raised an eyebrow.

            Severus sighed. “It could have gone worse.” Severus briefly told Lucius of his visit with Harry.

            Lucius frowned and sat his glass down when Severus got to the two unexpected binding spells. “The one should be fairly easy to remove if it is as poorly done as you say. But the other could be a great deal of trouble, especially the way you say it was woven so tightly with the one Lily put in place.”

            Severus nodded. “I did not tell him, but from what I saw that spell was meant to become a part of his blood. That kind of binding spell cannot be removed without killing the person it was used on. Fortunately, because of Lily’s spell, I think I will be able to remove it when I remove Lily’s spell.”

            “That kind of spell is a dark spell. It has long since been illegal to use that kind of spell. And it would take someone very powerful to use a spell like that, especially if it has not been detected before now,” Lucius said carefully.

            Severus snorted. “I am well aware of the difficulty that spell presents and of the limited list of people who could be responsible.”

            Lucius raised an eyebrow. “Do you intend to tell him?”

            Severus sipped his drink. “He has hated me for years, Lucius. I have certainly given him reason enough. How likely is it that he will believe me if I tell him?”

            Lucius raised an eyebrow. “And if he finds out you knew and did not tell him?”

            Severus grimaced. “Well, as of yet, I’ve no idea what effect either spell is having on him. Once I am able to determine the effects, perhaps I will tell him. Depending on what the spell does, he may be more inclined to believe me.” Severus’ brows rose and he gave Lucius a questioning look.

            Lucius snorted. “Of course I will help. You’ll probably want to work on that here rather than at Hogwarts, especially with that old fool roaming around.”

            “Actually,” Severus drawled, “I had plans to work somewhere else.”

            Lucius’ brows rose. “Oh?”

            Severus told him of Harry’s offer.

            Lucius was surprised and he let it show. “I had expected him to be…a little less accepting given your history.”

            “As had I. I am, as the muggles say, waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

            Lucius snorted and took a sip of his drink. “Severus, you said you had used the counter-spell to the one that had altered his appearance. You did not tell me what he looked like.”

            Severus shook his head. “You will have to wait for an opportunity to see for yourself.”

********************************

            When Severus arrived at Grimmauld Place the next morning, he headed for the library. He stopped in the doorway when he saw Harry sitting at the same table as the day before, reading as he had been yesterday. Only this time, Harry looked nothing like James Potter’s son.

            Severus took in the straight black hair that just brushed Harry’s collar and the lean frame so like his own. In the mirror Harry had used yesterday, Severus saw Harry’s face as he read. His hair seemed longer when it was straight; his bangs hung over his forehead, nearly in his eyes. He was wearing a look of intense concentration. It made the resemblance between him and Severus even stronger.

            With his mother’s eyes and nose, Harry was an extremely attractive boy. Severus felt a surge of pride he knew he had no right to feel. He also could not help but feel a trace of smugness. _His_ and Lily’s child was far more handsome than a child Lily might have had with Potter. Severus smirked.

            At that moment, Harry looked up and caught sight of Severus in the mirror. He raised one eyebrow in a perfect Slytherin look.

            Severus shook his head and walked over and sat down across from Harry. He pulled out all of the books he had brought with him and set them out across his side of the table.

            “I owled Fred and George. We are going shopping early tomorrow morning so they can get back to their shop by the time it starts to get busy. I should be done just after lunch. Of course, you’re more than welcome to stay here while I’m out.” Harry shrugged and turned back to his book.

            Severus nodded and settled down to his research.

            The day was surprisingly pleasant. At lunch, Harry brought a tray of sandwiches and bottled water to the library and sat in on the table between them. For dinner, Harry fixed homemade pizza. He laughed when Severus looked reluctant to leave his books long enough to eat.

            “I fixed pizza because you can still work while you eat.” Harry held up a slice of pizza in his left hand and turned the page of his book with his right. “I brought plenty of napkins so you don’t have to worry about getting anything on the books.”

            Severus snorted, but grabbed a slice of pizza. He paused before taking a bite as he caught sight of the toppings. “Black olives?”

            Harry swallowed a bite and then said, “Yeah. You don’t like them? They’re my favorite.”

            Severus cleared his throat. “Mine as well. Lily and I once got into an argument over which was better: black olives or green olives.” He snorted. “She said I should agree with her that green olives were the best. After all, they are _green_ and aren’t I a Slytherin?”

            Harry listened avidly. Little details like that were the kinds of things he wanted to know about his mother. “What was her favorite pizza topping?”

            Severus grimaced. “Pineapple.”

            “Eww,” Harry said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. “She ate _pineapple_ on her pizza?”

            “When we ordered pizza we would get one half pineapple, green peppers and pepperoni for her and the other half ham and black olives for me,” Severus said before clearing his throat and taking a bite of pizza.

            Harry looked down at his pepperoni and black olive pizza before taking a bite himself. Maybe he should keep a list. He could write down all of the things that seem weird about this and cross them off when they don’t seem weird anymore. Easy dinner conversation between him and Snape? That one would probably stay on the list for quite a while.

            Other than the brief conversation at dinner, the day was spent mostly in silence as they each worked on their separate research. While Severus worked on altering Lily’s spell, Harry worked his way through the older books in the library looking for rare or forgotten spells that might be useful. Harry mostly focused on spells that he thought he might be able to use against Voldemort, but he also found himself getting sidetracked by some spells that just looked interesting.

            Harry had started to fill a notebook with the spells he came across that looked interesting. He left room after each spell so that he could go back after he had a chance to test the spell and make notes. For example, the spell he had used to get to Gringotts, he noted didn’t seem to work on goblins. As none of the other patrons had noticed him in the lobby, Harry came to the conclusion it was ineffective against goblins.

            As Harry stretched, he smothered a laugh at the thought that he was getting to be worse than Hermione. Harry frowned as he noticed the time. It was getting late. If he was planning to get up early and spend the morning with the Weasley twins, Harry had better get to sleep.

            He stood. When Snape looked up at him he said, “I have to get some sleep if I’m going to meet up with Fred and George in the morning. If you want to stay the first three rooms on the left on the second floor are made up.” He frowned. “Will I see you in the morning before I leave? Or do you want to change me back now?”

            Severus frowned at Harry. “I’ll probably be here in the morning, if you would rather wait.”

            Harry shrugged and headed up to bed.

***************************************

            Harry woke and dressed for a day of shopping in Diagon Alley. He noticed his clothes didn’t fit quite right with the change in his build and height. While he was used to clothes being to big, he hadn’t had much experience with clothes that were too small. Fortunately it was a little less noticeable in robes than in his jeans and t-shirt.

            Once he was ready, Harry slowly headed downstairs. Despite having lived all his life previous to the day before yesterday as James Potter’s son physically, Harry found he was reluctant to change back. He really was more comfortable the way his was at that moment. He supposed it made sense as that was what he should look like, but he would have thought it would still take some getting used to.

            Harry walked into the library and frowned when he saw Snape sitting at the table. It didn’t look like the man had moved since Harry had seen him last night.

            “Did you spend all night in here?” Harry asked.

            Severus looked up. “If it is morning, then yes, I did.”

            Harry rolled his eyes and walked closer. “Well, I’m ready to leave so I guess you have to change me back now.”

            Severus stood and stretched before walking around the table. He pulled out his wand used the spell.

            Harry grimaced as he felt the magic move through him. He briefly wondered if he should have sat down first. Somehow, although it felt the same as the before, it was more uncomfortable going from ‘Snape’ to ‘Potter.’ When it was over, Harry felt as if his skin, his body was a set of ill-fitting clothes. While Harry had plenty of experience in ill-fitting clothes, it did not mean he liked the feeling.

            Harry blinked several times before remembering he needed his glasses. He stumbled over to the small table next to the chair in front of the fireplace where he had left them when he first changed.

            Now fully returned to Harry Potter, he grimaced again and stretched his arms over his head. At least his clothes fit right again.

            “Well, I guess I’ll see you after lunch if you are still here,” Harry said.

            Severus nodded and Harry left.


	9. Fred and George

            Harry Flooed straight to Fred and George’s shop. Well, straight to their apartment above the shop. When he arrived, he stumbled out of the fireplace, tripped over something and landed bent over the coffee table.

            “One of your rougher landings, Harry,” Fred said.

            “Good thing the coffee table was made to survive our experiments,” George said.

            “And that you are so light,” Fred said.

            Harry groaned. “More like, good thing _I’m_ so durable.” He picked himself up and dusted himself off. He couldn’t help but think if he hadn’t changed back he wouldn’t have had any problems with the Floo. _Then again,_ Harry thought, _maybe it’s a good thing I changed back. If those outfits hurt my eyes this much through glasses, I hate to think what they would do to my eyes without that small bit of protection._

            “Uh, Fred, George,” Harry said hesitantly.

            They laughed. “Do you like them?” they asked in unison, turning this way and that.

            “Um…” Harry said. “Not only do they hurt my eyes, but it looks like someone puked up confetti all over your robes.” Normally Harry tried to be more diplomatic when it came to some of the twins’ crazier outfits and pranks, but this morning the nicest thing he could think of was the truth.

            The twins grinned as if that was just the response they had wanted. “Our latest product,” George said.

            “Party animals,” Fred said, holding up a balloon animal.

            Harry took a cautious step back.

            “Know someone who is always leaving before the party really gets going?” George asked.

            “Or maybe just someone who doesn’t know how to unwind and have some fun?” Fred asked.

            “Weasleys’ Party Animals will show them what they are missing!” George said with that mischievous gleam in his eyes.

            “Just hand it over,” Fred said, trying to give Harry the balloon.

            Harry took a step back and warily shook his head.

            Fred turned and handed the balloon to George. George reached out to grab it, but before Fred could let go the balloon exploded. Both twins’ robes changed to an even brighter color and it looked like the twins had puked down the front of their robes. After a few seconds, they both were suddenly soaking wet.

            “Well, we are still working out a few problems,” George said.

            “They will definitely be ready for the April Fool’s Day rush, though!” Fred said.

            Harry laughed and motioned to the wet robes. “Are you planning to go shopping like that?”

            The twins grinned and went to change.

***************************************

            Harry and the twins left the Quidditch supply store and turned left. As they walked down the sidewalk, the twins had a rare moment of solemnity.

            “Harry,” Fred said, “is it true you are staying at Number 12 by yourself for most of the break?”

            Harry started. “Um, yeah.”

            George frowned. “And what did you say that convinced Mum to let you do that?”

            “And what’s the real reason?” Fred asked.

            Harry grimaced. “I told your mum that I couldn’t stay for the whole break because things were awkward between me and Ginny. It was partly the truth. Ever since Ginny and I broke up, Ginny for some reason seemed to think it was just a temporary split. I took me months to get her to believe me when I said it was over.”

            “And with the jealousy and other problems Mum is feeling over Fleur right now, she was feeling extra protective and sensitive towards Ginny,” Fred said and nodded.

            Harry was relieved that Fred and George didn’t seem to hold it against him that he wasn’t with Ginny any more. Ron had been hell to live with for those first few weeks after the breakup.

            “And the rest?” George asked. When Harry gave him an innocent look, he shook his head. “Nope. We know better, Harry.”

            Fred grimaced. “You’ve been acting strange for a while now. Now what’s wrong?”

            Harry’s brows rose. “I’ve been acting strange? Do you two have spies at Hogwarts or something?”

            The twins shook their heads.

            “Not that that isn’t a good idea,” George said, “but no. You used to write us every other week, Harry, remember? You kept us informed on the students’ use of our products and on the school gossip.”

            “You also used to just write to talk.” Fred snorted. “You were about the only one to keep in touch just because. Mum writes us to tell us what to do, most of the people we went to school with write wanting to hear about the store and expecting jokes and maybe a chance to buy into the store.”

            “You haven’t written us once since you’ve gone back to Hogwarts, Harry. We’ve come to think of you like a little brother, Harry, but you’ve also become a good friend these last few years,” George said, looking more serious than Harry had ever seen either twin look.

            Fred nodded. “So if you are having a hard time or if you need anything, even just someone to talk to, we are here.”

            “And, in typical Weasley fashion, we have decided you have a problem and we are going to help,” George said, still only half joking.

            Harry thought about it a moment. He knew he could trust these two. He knew they could, and would, keep his secrets. He trusted them even more than he trusted Ron and Hermione, truthfully. He took a deep breath and nodded. “How about we talk over lunch? Maybe back at your apartment?”

            The twins shared a look and then looked back at Harry and nodded. Suddenly their usual grins returned and they each threw an arm around him and dragged him down the sidewalk. Harry wondered how often they had hidden away their more serious sides and let others assume they didn’t exist. Often Harry would bet.

************************************

            Harry stood in front of the display debating with himself. He had to decide quickly, while the twins were distracted. He definitely did not want to explain _this_ to Fred and George.

            Giving in to the impulse that had brought him into this store in the first place, Harry decided to make a purchase. He let the store clerk wrap the gift in Gryffindor colors. He would have to re-wrap it later anyway.

********************************

            Finally finished with his shopping, Harry let Fred and George drag him back to their apartment. Once inside, the twins turned on Harry and grabbed his bags.

            “Hey!” Harry said, laughing. “No peeking!” Harry had purchased the twins’ gifts, as well as his impulsive purchase, while the twins had stopped in to check on their store for a few moments earlier.

            Fred and George mock pouted, but put the bags down. Then they sobered and gestured for Harry to sit down. Once everyone was seated, the twins turned to Harry expectantly.

            “Here we are, Harry. It’s still a bit early for lunch, but we should have plenty of time to talk,” Fred said.

            Harry sighed. He tried to decide how much to tell them. He knew he could trust them, but he wasn’t sure how much he wanted to talk about.

            “If you don’t know where to begin,” George said.

            “Maybe you could continue where you left off,” Fred said.

            Harry frowned at them.

            “You said the situation with Ginny was only part of the reason you are spending most of Christmas break at Number 12,” Fred said.

            Harry grimaced. “Just between the three of us?” Fred and George looked extremely serious as they nodded their agreement. “Mostly, I just really needed to get away from Ron and Hermione. These last few months I swear it seems like I can’t even go to the bathroom or take a shower without one of them either following me or demanding details afterwards. I mean, yeah, before they have sometimes gotten a little…clingy. Especially Hermione-always wanting to know where I’m going, what I’m doing. But this! I mean, they have been practically stalking me!”

            Fred and George shared a look. “That’s strange,” they said together.

            “What?” Harry asked.

            “It’s just…we heard Ron and Hermione talking the other day when we stopped by to see Mum,” George said.

            “That’s when we found out about you staying at Number 12,” Fred said.

            “Well, Hermione was talking about how she was worried about how much time you’ve been spending alone, how much time you’ve been spending away from them,” George said.

            “And Ron said it wouldn’t matter. You agreed to go through with it after NEWTs and then there would be nothing to worry about,” Fred said.

            Harry grimaced and gave a tired sigh. “Fred, George, have you ever told your mum you would do something you had no intention of doing just to get her to leave you alone?”

            The twins both gave a small laugh and said, “All the time.”

            “So what did you say you’d do that you aren’t going to do, Harry?” Fred asked.

            Harry sighed and told them about Dumbledore’s insistence that Harry bind himself to Ron and Hermione through some kind of ritual. “They were angry at first when I didn’t want to do it, but once they thought I had agreed…that’s when they started stalking me.”

            Fred and George sat there frowning. They shared a look.

            “What?” Harry asked.

            “If you are talking about the ritual that we think you are,” George said.

            “Then we don’t blame you for not wanting to go through with it,” Fred said.

            “You are familiar with the ritual?” Harry asked.

            The twins nodded.

            “Came across it by accident one day,” Fred said.

            “Thought it looked interesting, but then we read that it needed three people…” George shrugged.

            Harry nodded. It would be just like the twins to want to try something like that, but only with each other. “So, what do I not know that has you two worried?”

            “Well, the ritual can be between a person and a parent, a sibling, or a lover in any combination, including two parents, two siblings or two lovers,” Fred said.

            “However, there is a reason that friends aren’t usually used. With a parent or a sibling there is a blood connection, with a lover there is an intimate physical connection,” George said.

            “But the connection between friends doesn’t have a physical component. It is usually more of an emotional connection. That difference affects the bond that is created during the ritual,” Fred said.

            “There is a portion of the ritual where the magic assesses the physical relationship and determines what kind of bond to create between the people involved. Generally a bond is created that is suitable for the type of relationship shared,” George said.

            “And the type of bond created affects the type of barriers and protections created. After all, you would hardly want to share yourself with a parent or a sibling the same way you would with a lover.”

            “But a friendship is too vague a relationship for the magic to assess properly. Without a physical relationship, the magic would skip right over that step. That would include skipping right over creating the necessary barriers and protections.”

            “So there would be no private thought, emotion or sensation until you managed to create those protections yourselves. And with the chaos of three people’s thoughts, emotions, and sensations it would take a lot longer than it would otherwise.”

            “Sensation?” Harry asked, frowning.

            Fred and George nodded.

            “Yes,” Fred said.

            “Because of the type of connections this ritual creates and the lack of natural barriers between friends, you three would share physical sensation as well,” George said.

            Harry grimaced. “Oh, yeah. I am _definitely_ not doing that.”

            The twins nodded.

            “Supposedly there is a separate ritual for friends or allies, but if it ever existed it has been lost over the centuries,” Fred said.

            The three of them were silent for a while.

            “Is that all that was bothering you, Harry?” George asked.

            Harry gave him a small smile and said, “Not even close.” They gave him an expectant look. Harry hesitated and then said slowly, “well, there are a few very big recent developments, but…I don’t think I’m ready to talk about those yet.”

            The twins nodded.

            “Just know we are here whenever you need to talk,” Fred said.

            Harry nodded; relieved they weren’t going to push him. “There are a few things that I could definitely use an understanding friend to talk to about, though.” The twins indicated Harry should continued talking. Harry cleared his throat. “Um, did you ever wonder why I broke up with Ginny?”

            Fred and George shrugged.

            “We always figured she started seeing Seamus behind your back,” Fred said.

            “Like she did when she was with Dean,” George added.

            Harry looked at them in shock. “Well, no, actually, though that does explain a few things.”

            The twins gave him an apologetic look and started to say something, but Harry shook his head and waved his hand in a ‘forget-it’ gesture.

            “Actually, I broke up with her because I finally stopped pretending I wasn’t gay,” Harry said, holding his breath waiting for their reaction. Other than blinking at him a few times, the twins didn’t react.

            George frowned. “So, is there a boy at Hogwarts you like?”

            “Oh god, tell me it’s not Ron,” Fred said.

            All three made faces of disgust.

            “Eww! Not at all!” Harry said. “While I do kind of like someone, there is no way I could ever think of _Ron_ like that!”

            The twins shared a look. “Draco Malfoy,” they said together.

            Harry stared at them in shock. “What?”

            The twins rolled their eyes.

            “Oh, come on, Harry!” Fred said.

            “You two have been way too focused on each other. No one really hates someone that much so quickly,” George said.

            “Not unless it was a substitute for something else,” Fred said.

            Harry stared at them. “So, you’re saying…?”

            “Well, Mum might be tempted to disown you,” Fred said.

            “Especially after the incident with Ginny several years ago,” George said.

            “But if he makes you happy, we can overlook the fact that he’s a Slytherin,” Fred said.

            “Of course, getting together with him and dealing with his father and dealing with Voldemort are all separate issues, now aren’t they?” George asked.

            Harry groaned. “I know, I know.” He sighed. “That wasn’t even where I intended to take the conversation!”

            “Oh?” Fred and George asked together.

            “No. I was going to tell you about a new, less annoying, non-stalking friend of mine,” Harry said.

            “Slytherin?” George asked with raised brows.

            Harry nodded. “Blaise Zabini.”

            “Well, his family has at least stayed neutral in the war,” Fred said.

            “What does that have to do with you being gay?” George asked.

            “Well, it’s sort of how we came to put aside the whole House rivalries thing.”

            “He’s gay?” Fred asked.

            Remembering telling Zabini he wouldn’t tell anyone Zabini was gay, Harry rolled his eyes. “More like he figured out I was.”

            The twins just gave Harry a look. Harry shrugged. They might have guessed that Zabini was gay, but Harry never told them. He knew they understood. It was why they didn’t call him on his obvious lie.

           


	10. Gift

            Back at Number 12, Harry quickly sneaked up the stairs to his room. It was possible that he was alone in the house and didn’t have to sneak, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

            Once inside his bedroom, he locked the door behind him and then used a locking spell on the door. Satisfied he wasn’t about to be interrupted, he pulled out the gift wrapped in Gryffindor colors and sat on his bed.

            Harry snorted as he tore the paper. He still wasn’t sure about this gift, but…maybe it would be accepted in the spirit it was intended. Really, the worst that could happen was Snape would tell him it was a stupid idea and refuse the gift. And Harry had plenty of practice at facing Snape’s scorn.

            Taking the lid off the box, Harry upended the box and poured the contents into his hand.

            He let the long silver chain dangle from his hand as he looked at the silver lily. He knew Snape was not the kind of person to wear jewelry, but Harry was hoping he might make an exception.

            Of course, Harry doubted the man would make an exception for just a pretty piece of metal. The store Harry had bought the necklace at specialized in jewelry that was meant to have protective spells added.

            Harry leaned over and pulled his notebook out of the drawer in his bedside table. He hadn’t had a chance to test all of the spells he was hoping to use, but he had gotten an extra chain and pendant to practice on. If he managed to not mess up any of the spells maybe he could use the extra for himself.

            Harry frowned as he noticed the time. He had said he would see Snape after lunch if he was still here. He would need several hours to work on the necklaces. And he might come across another spell he might want to use.

            Harry put the necklace away. He wondered if he shouldn’t have chosen something other than the lily. The lily pendant, combined with the delicate chain, made the necklace seem rather feminine for the Potions Master.

            Harry was frowning when he walked into the library carrying his notebook.

            “Were the Weasley twins that trying?”

            Harry looked up and saw Snape sitting at the table in the library. Harry shook his head. “Did you get any sleep at all?” He frowned again. “And when was the last time you had anything to eat?”

            Severus looked at Harry in surprise. “I slept for several hours while you were gone and I finished lunch not too long ago.”

            Harry looked at him skeptically, but said nothing as he walked across the room and sat down across from the older man. After several long minutes of silence as Snape worked on his research and Harry double checked that he had copied correctly the spells he wanted to use, Harry had a thought.

            “Hey. You said both you and my mum,” Harry paused for just a second to let that strange phrase settle into his brain before continuing, “you said you were both good at creating your own spells?”

            Severus looked at Harry. “Yes, and at altering spells to suit our purposes.”

            Harry wondered if he was going to regret this… “Could you teach me?”

            Severus saw the wary look in Harry’s eyes as he asked. Severus guessed he was probably remembering the disastrous Occlumency lessons. “Certainly. If you managed to pass your Transfiguration and Charms OWLs then you should have a good understanding of the necessary basics…”

            The next several hours passed rather quickly. Without the usual animosity between them and with both making an actual effort, the lesson was fairly successful.

            Harry was rather shocked at how much patience Snape was capable of. The older man didn’t sneer or mock his unsuccessful attempts. Rather he calmly pointed out what Harry did wrong and told him to try again. He also didn’t seem to mind when it took several attempts for Harry to get it right.

            Severus, for his part, was shocked at how intelligent Harry showed himself to be. He was far from the dimwitted, lazy boy Severus had convinced himself he was. The boy grasped difficult concepts quite easily.

            Severus suspected Harry might even be more intelligent than Miss Granger. Where Granger was capable of an impressive amount of memorization, Harry proved himself adept at putting concepts into practice. Harry also had the necessary creativity and ability to think outside the box needed to master spell creation and alteration.

            Once Severus realized Harry grasped the concept quicker after a demonstration, he was further shocked at how quickly Harry managed to master the first steps of the process of altering and creating spells.

            It was very late by the time they decided to call it a night. Harry frowned as he stretched. He was trying to decide if he should wait until morning to start on Snape’s gift. He had gotten up early that morning and he didn’t want to stop in the middle of putting the spells on the necklace. He also didn’t want exhaustion to cause him to make a mistake.

            “So, you are going to the Burrow to spend Christmas with the Weasleys,” Snape said as he started straightening the books on his side of the table.

            Harry looked over at him. “Yeah. It was the only way I could get away for even part of the break. What about you? Do you have plans or are you going to go back to Hogwarts?”

            Snape frowned at him. “Why would you think I had anywhere else to go?”

            Harry grinned. “So you are going to Malfoy Manor.”

            Severus was shocked, though he was careful to hide it. How would Harry know he usually spent the holidays with Lucius and his family? Had Draco mentioned it at Hogwarts? And if so, how would Harry have heard?

            Harry’s grin grew. “Everyone always figured you just hid out during Christmas, but if you could get away secretly to go to Death Eater meetings, why wouldn’t you be able to sneak out for a little holiday celebration? And after hearing Malfoy call you ‘Uncle Severus’ one day, it makes sense to think you spend a lot of time with his family. Besides, I know Lucius Malfoy isn’t as bad as everyone thinks.”

            Severus raised an eyebrow at that statement.

            “No one else may have noticed, but Lucius Malfoy gave himself away at the Ministry. Twice he could easily have killed or captured me and he didn’t even try. Both times it was just the two of us and he probably thought I didn’t notice.” Harry shrugged. “I admit I _was_ preoccupied at the time, but not enough to miss something like **that**.”

            Severus frowned, wondering if he should warn Lucius. He started to ask Harry who else knew or suspected, but before he could say anything Harry continued.

            “You don’t have to worry. I didn’t tell anyone, not even Ron or Hermione. I had a lot of other things on my mind at the time.” Harry shrugged again. Before Harry could say any more, he yawned. “Well, I think I should get to bed. I’ll probably sleep in in the morning.” Harry grimaced. “I don’t even want to think about facing the chaos at the Burrow on Christmas without enough sleep.”

            “I’ll sleep here tonight and leave early in the morning,” Snape said.

            Harry nodded as he yawned again. “Well, I’ll see you after Christmas then. You did say you would stop by again before the end of the break, right?”

            “Yes,” Severus said. “I should be able to tell you more about those extra binding spells before we return to Hogwarts.”

            Harry just stood there for a moment, unsure of what else to say. When the silence had lasted just a little too long and the moment started to get uncomfortable, Harry said, “Right, well. Good night.” He turned and left the library.

*********************************

            The next morning, Harry went downstairs to get some breakfast before starting on the necklaces and found Snape had already left. After eating a quick meal, Harry went back upstairs to his room.

            Harry wrapped and labeled his presents for the Weasleys and the others who would be at the Burrow. When he was done he shrunk everything and put the gifts in his overnight bag.

            Harry went downstairs to the library to work on Snape’s gift. Just to be safe, though, he put the strongest locking charm he knew on the library door. Sitting down at what he had come to think of as ‘his’ side of the table, Harry got to work.

            It took several hours before Harry was satisfied with the work he had done on the practice necklace. It took a few more hours to finish with the one he intended to give to Snape. He had carefully layered the spells he had chosen to use. He had decided to use his own version of some spells and he made sure to take his time with those, making sure he didn’t make any mistakes.

            Once the necklace was done, Harry set it inside its lined box and set the box aside. He then took out a nice sheet of parchment and painstakingly wrote out a list of all of the protections and spells he had used on the necklace. He didn’t suppose it mattered. Snape had read enough of his essays to be familiar with his handwriting by now.

            Once he was done with the list, he folded it neatly and put it into the box with the necklace. He then wrapped it up using Slytherin colors.

            Harry was not expected at the Burrow until just before dinner, but even getting up fairly early, he spent so much time on Snape’s gift he was a little late. Harry groaned as he thought of the reception he was probably going to get.


	11. Christmas Eve

            When Severus arrived at Malfoy Manor, he caught sight of Draco storming up the stairs and Narcissa sweeping into the kitchen with an annoyed look on her face.

            Severus raised an eyebrow and went in search of Lucius. He found the blond in the study pouring himself a drink.

            “What’s wrong with Draco?” Severus asked. He barely kept the smile off his face as Lucius jumped slightly and then glared at him.

            “I have no idea. He has been sulky all break. When I tried to find out what was going on, Narcissa kept interrupting me to ask about the menu for tomorrow. A menu I distinctly remember discussing with her just a few hours before. Then Draco’s pouting turned into a temper tantrum, Narcissa said it was all my fault and then claimed it would also be my fault if dinner is a disaster tomorrow and the bloody house elves keep hiding my socks, and if one more thing goes wrong in the next few minutes…!” Lucius said, his voice rising in frustration.

            Severus did his best not to laugh. Lucius had started gesturing with the hand that was holding his drink as he talked and had splashed brandy on the cuff of his robe. The blond was currently glaring at his robe as if it were to blame for everything that had gone wrong. It was only decades of practice that kept Severus’ face impassive.

            With exaggerated care, Lucius slowly took out his wand and used a cleaning charm on his robe.

            “The house elves are hiding your socks again?” Severus asked as he poured himself a drink.

            “Yes,” Lucius said, annoyed. “It took two years after that elf we had rescued from Bellatrix’s home was set free before they stopped. Now, all of a sudden, they are hiding my socks again!” Lucius took a drink form the glass in his hand. “That trick with the sock was quite Slytherin. But then, Harry is your son after all.” Lucius smirked. “I wonder. If you were to look back over the years, how much of yourself do you think you could find in him?” Lucius raised an eyebrow when Severus grimaced.

            Severus sighed. “Yesterday he asked me to teach him how to create and alter spells. He was quite good at it. He mastered the basics quickly. In less than a day, he had already managed to alter several spells on his own.”

            “Is that really such a surprise? You and Lily were always very good at that,” Lucius said.

            Severus frowned. “It made it clear he was nothing like the lazy idiot I had always thought him.”

            Lucius lifted one shoulder in an elegant shrug. “Had he really been James Potter’s son, I’ve no doubt you would have been right about him.”

            The two men sipped their drinks in silence for a while.

            “Lucius?” Narcissa’s voice floated down the hallway, preceding her. “Severus? Dinner is ready.”

            Lucius frowned and looked at the clock and then at Severus. “That late already? I had been expecting you much earlier, Severus,” he said as they left the study.

            “I had to take care of something this morning. It took much longer than I had anticipated,” Severus replied as they reached the dining room.

            As everyone sat down at the table, Severus noticed that Draco **was** looking rather sulky. He tried to think of anything that could have happened at Hogwarts to cause that reaction. If he had been like this all break, it would have to be something that had happened at school. The only thing that came to mind was that Draco was spending much less time with Blaise than usual. Perhaps the two had argued.

            As the meal began, Narcissa said, “It’s so nice to see you again, Severus. You don’t visit nearly often enough. You’re practically family.”

            Severus offered the petite witch a small smile. “It is nice to see you again as well, Narcissa. I do wish I could get away more often, but with the current situation it simply isn’t possible.”

            Narcissa sighed. “Yes, I know.” She was silent for a moment and then she took a quick glance at Draco. “You know, it really is too bad you don’t have any children, Severus.”

            Severus nearly choked on his wine. “Excuse me?”

            “Well,” Narcissa said, “I was just thinking. It would be nice to have a more solid claim on you. If you had a child, she could marry Draco and then you could be an official part of the family. It would certainly be much better than the Parkinsons.” She gave her husband a pointed look.

            It did not escape either man’s notice that Draco suddenly began to pay close attention to the conversation when his mother made that last statement. Lucius raised an eyebrow at his wife and came to the conclusion that Draco had had another fight with Pansy, hence his behavior over the break.

            “I’m well aware of your opinions of the Parkinsons, Cissy,” Lucius said. “And of your opinion of Severus.” Lucius raised his brow again.

            Suddenly, Lucius snickered. He had noticed Draco’s disgruntled look at his answer and had imagined how Draco would have reacted to the prospect of an arranged marriage to Harry Potter.

            Severus raised an eyebrow at Lucius, having heard him snicker.

            Lucius said smoothly, “I’m sure if Severus had any children he would be happy to arrange for a marriage to Draco.” He looked at Severs while he said this and raised both brows as he finished.

            Severus snorted, his mind following the same path as Lucius’, only he imagined Harry’s reaction as well as Draco’s. Severus and Lucius both had always seen the two’s rivalry as similar to the rivalry between James Potter and Severus.

            Narcissa smiled. “We could have the wedding in the garden. Then the reception in the ballroom…” She smiled dreamily and continued making plans.

            The three males at the table just ignored Narcissa’s mumblings. All three were used to her flights of fancy. Of course, she _was_ a Slytherin. They were well aware that she played up the image of an empty-headed trophy wife so that people would underestimate her.

            Draco turned back to glaring and picking at his food. Lucius continued to smother the occasional snicker. Severus, however, ate slowly and resigned himself to waiting to tell Narcissa about Harry until after Draco was safely married. He was rather fond of his godson and would rather the boy didn’t come to hate him as much as the Gryffindors at Hogwarts.

**********************************

            Harry stumbled out of the fireplace at the Burrow and no less than three people started yelling at him for being late and for worrying everyone. He was shocked at the wave of resentment that suddenly flared up within him.

            He might only be seventeen, but in the wizarding world that made him an adult. And after facing Voldemort every year he had been at Hogwarts, not to mention surviving his childhood with his horrible muggle relatives, did they really think he was incapable of surviving for a couple weeks without them?

            Harry took a deep breath and pushed his anger and resentment down. He also suppressed his wince as Hermione’s shrill voice rose above Mrs. Weasley’s shouting and Ginny’s whining.

            Looking past the shrews that were laying into him, Harry saw the Weasley men. He was surprised to catch a look of what looked like…malicious glee on Ron’s face. Harry frowned, but the expression was quickly replaced with a grimace at the sound of Hermione’s voice. Perhaps Ron was angry that Harry had left him alone with his family during the break.

            Arthur, Bill and Charlie were looking extremely sympathetic as they watched the women yell at Harry. Arthur had even come forward and was trying to calm his wife. Bill held a wide-eyed Fleur protectively against his side.

            Harry looked around the room again, looking for Fred and George. After a few minutes more of being shouted at, he saw them enter the room with Remus. All three new arrivals looked first confused and then shocked at the scene they had walked in on. Harry was the only one to see the hard looks that came to the twins faces as the left the room.

            The twins had been gone only seconds before a loud explosion came from the kitchen. Suddenly the room went silent and then Mrs. Weasley gave a little shriek and ran to the kitchen. Harry watched the twins wander in from outside with innocent expressions on their faces.

            “Harry!” Fred and George called out together.

            “Good to see you!” George said.

            “It’s been too long,” Fred said.

            Suddenly the other Weasleys and guests were greeting Harry.

            Soon after, everyone was settling down at the dinner table. As Harry took a seat between Ron and Fred, Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat.

            “Harry, dear. I’m sorry for yelling at you like that, but you gave me quite the fright. You’ve been alone at that creepy house for more than a week and when you were late I was worried something had happened to you,” Molly said.

            Harry suppressed a snort. He had been barely fifteen minutes late. “I’m sorry. I just lost time when I was wrapping presents,” Harry said politely.

            “Really, Harry. It was quite inconsiderate of you to be so late,” Hermione huffed. “And if you had not waited until the last minute, you wouldn’t have been still wrapping presents on _Christmas Eve_.”

            Harry gritted his teeth. “You’re right, Hermione.” Harry wondered why his best friend’s behavior bothered him so much more than usual. It certainly wasn’t anything he hadn’t experience before with Hermione.

            The dinner that followed was the usual boisterous Weasley affair, but there was no denying the tense undercurrents. Mrs. Weasley seemed to take every opportunity to talk over or interrupt Fleur. Hermione still made sharp comments to Harry every now and then and Ginny was not at all subtle in her displeasure with Harry.

            Ron managed a fairly normal conversation with Harry for a while about Quidditch, but soon he was paying more attention to Fleur than even the food. Harry was grateful when that drew Hermione’s ire away from him. Harry spent the rest of the dinner talking with Charlie about his work on the reservation. He wanted to talk to Remus, but he was deep in conversation with Arthur at the other end of the table.

            After dinner, Mrs. Weasley made everyone sit in the living room to listen to her favorite singer, Celestina Warbeck. Harry managed to escape the torture and took a walk in the garden with Remus.

            Similar to the way Harry’s friendship with Fred and George grew out of an acquaintance with his best friend’s brothers, Harry’s relationship with Remus may have started as just an eagerness to learn more about his father-James Potter-from one of his friends, but it had grown into something else.

            Harry used to write and meet with Remus as often as possible since the man had been forced to leave Hogwarts. They had grown quite close and Harry was a little worried about how the werewolf would react to the news that Harry was not the son of his school friend, but rather that friend’s rival.

            “Harry?” Remus’ soft voice drew Harry out of his thoughts. “Is everything okay?”

            Harry thought about how to answer that question. “I was just thinking…did you know my mum very well? I mean, I hear a lot about my dad,” Harry felt weird calling James Potter his father now that he knew he wasn’t related to the man at all, “but I never hear much about my mum.”

            “Ah,” Remus said. He gestured to a little bench set a good distance from the house. “Well, I was not very close with her, but I did know her. I actually used to study with her and Severus when we were at Hogwarts.”

            Harry blinked. “You did?”

            Remus nodded. “While James and Sirius were too busy worrying about making sure they won the Quidditch cup their last year at Hogwarts, Lily and I, and Severus of course, were focused on passing our NEWTs.”

            Harry frowned. “But I thought my mum and Snape stopped being friends in their, what, fifth year? That’s what you said when I asked about my dad bullying Snape.”

            Remus winced. “Yes. Lily and Severus were quick to assure each other and me that the truce was only so that we could get the best grades possible on our NEWTs. Apparently, Severus’ Slytherin friends were also more focused on Quidditch and the House cup than on NEWTs.”

            “So, you spent a lot of time with my mum, then?” Harry asked frowning.

            “Yes, but there were…reasons we never became close,” Remus said uncomfortably. “You see, she was interested in-” Remus broke off and seemed to regret having said that. He cleared his throat and said, “It wasn’t too much later when she and your father started getting closer.”

            Harry’s eyes widened. It sounded like Remus had been jealous. The letter his mother had left him had said that she and James Potter had never been more than friends, that they had both been interested in someone else. But obviously no one else knew that or they never would have believed Harry was James Potter’s son. Even Remus seemed to not have known.

            Harry couldn’t decide who Remus might have been jealous over, though. Had he secretly been in love with James Potter and so was upset when Harry’s mother seemed to be getting his attention? Or had he wanted Lily Evans to notice him and had been upset when she had only seemed to pay attention to James?


	12. Christmas Morning

            Severus woke on Christmas morning as he did most mornings. He went from a deep sleep to suddenly alert in mere moments. Looking around the room and recognizing his usual room at Malfoy Manor, and sensing no immediate threats, Severus allowed himself the rare luxury of just lying in bed.

            As he had in most spare moments he had had over the past several days, he turned his mind to the situation with Harry. His son. So far things had gone surprisingly well, but as he had told Lucius he was still waiting for the problems he knew were on their way.

            Severus snorted and sat up. Nothing was ever easy for him and he wasn’t foolish enough to think this would be any different.

            As Severus sat up, he noticed something on the bedside table. He frowned as he picked up the small box wrapped in Slytherin colors. In all the years he had been coming to Malfoy Manor for the holidays, he had never had a present left on his bedside table. All the gifts remained under the tree until after breakfast when everyone gathered around to open presents.

            Severus was reaching for his wand, planning to test for dark spells, when he saw his name written on a small tag. His brows rose nearly to his hairline when he recognized the handwriting.

            Severus stared at the box for several minutes. Finally, he slowly unwrapped his gift. He paused to take a deep breath before lifting the lid of the box.

            Severus wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but it most certainly wasn’t what was in the box. He frowned down at the delicate silver chain and the silver lily pendant lying in the white satin-lined box. Tilting the box so that he could see the necklace better, he saw a piece of folded parchment.

            He pulled out the parchment and then set the box down next to him on the bed. Unfolding the parchment, Severus read over a lengthy list of protective spells, including several he was not familiar with and several that Harry had noted he had modified. When he reached the end of the list, Severus turned back to the necklace. If Harry had actually used every one of the spells listed…if they had all been done correctly…

            Severus picked up his wand and cast a spell of his own on the necklace. The spell should have allowed him to confirm what was written on the parchment; it should have allowed him to know for certain if all of the spells listed were working as they should. However, the only thing Severus learned was that one spell was working correctly-the spell Harry had used to keep anyone (especially Voldemort) from being able to detect the necklace. It was one of the most difficult of the spells listed.

            That, combined with the skill Harry had shown at spell alteration, convinced Severus that Harry had performed all of the listed spells correctly. He was stunned. The necklace had taken a great deal of work. At **_least_** several hours’ worth. The necklace was an incredible piece of work.

            Severus fingered the delicate silver. He wanted to put it on, but he wanted to wait more. Severus placed the parchment back into the box with the necklace and stood. After getting dressed, he walked over to the bed and slipped the box into his pocket and then headed downstairs for breakfast.

********************************

            Harry woke reluctantly. He really didn’t want to go downstairs to breakfast. All he really wanted to do was go back to Number 12 and bury himself in the books in the library. He snorted as that thought registered. He really was getting to be worse than Hermione.

            Then again, the work he was doing in the library at Number 12 wasn’t like what Hermione did. It wasn’t reading histories or researching old places, people or events. It wasn’t forcing himself to work through boring text like he had to do for his classes either.

            Harry was researching _spells_. Particularly defensive and offensive spells, but the good thing about private research was that he could take time to look at any spell that caught his eye. And now that he was learning to alter and create his own spells, there were even more options open to him.

            Harry rolled over onto his back and frowned up at the ceiling as he thought about that. It was strange that he had never thought to do something like research spells before. Before this apathy had started to affect him, he had always felt he needed to go, to do, to move. He had hated sitting still. He would find his mind wandering during lessons.

            It was one of the reasons he could never beat Ron at chess. He just couldn’t really focus. Of course, he wasn’t stupid enough to actually beat Ron at chess even if he could. Ron would probably throw a tantrum and demand a rematch each and every time Harry beat him.

            Not that Harry would want to research as a career or anything, but he could see it being…a hobby. Yeah, a hobby. Something to do with his spare time for his own enjoyment.

            Suddenly, the door to Ron’s room, where Harry always stayed when at the Burrow, flew open. Without really thinking about it, Harry was on his feet with his wand pointed at the person standing in the doorway.

            “Oh,” Harry said a little sheepishly as he met the eyes of a stunned Fred. He lowered his wand. “Sorry.”

            Harry had expected Fred to make a joke out of what had just happened and to laugh it off. Instead, Fred stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.

            “You sure everything’s alright, Harry?” Fred asked quietly.

            Harry blinked and nodded. “Yeah, Fred. Everything’s okay.”

            Fred frowned and looked down at Harry’s wand and then back up to his eyes. “You know if you ever need anything you can come to me and George, right? I know we’ve told you that. I know you said you weren’t ready to talk about some things, but you don’t have to tell us everything to ask for our help.”

            Harry smiled at Fred. He wondered why Ron couldn’t ever be like that. “Thanks, Fred. Really, though, the things I hadn’t told you and George the other day…they aren’t really bad. It’s just…a shock, that’s all. This,” Harry said, holding up his wand and smiling sheepishly again, “was more a trained reaction. After so many years of facing Voldemort, sometimes my reactions are a little…extreme.”

            Fred nodded. “Alright, Harry.” Suddenly, his usual grin appeared. “Now, I had come up here to tell you you might want to get downstairs while there’s any food left, but I suspect it will be gone by the time you get down there now.”

            Harry chuckled and turned to get dressed as Fred left.

***********************************

            Severus looked at Lucius and raised an eyebrow at him as he sat down next to the blond. Draco’s usual excited bouncing was a bit muted that morning. Lucius just shrugged.

            Usually on Christmas morning, Draco would be nearly bouncing in his seat with excitement. As soon as he finished his meal he would start glaring at the adults as they ate. This morning, Draco looked…thoughtful.

            It wasn’t until everyone had finished eating and they were rising from the table that Draco’s usual love of presents made its appearance. As he stood from the table, the thoughtful look vanished and he looked as excited as he always did on Christmas morning.

            In the sitting room, Severus, Narcissa and Draco all took their seats as Lucius began passing out the gifts. When he was finished, he sat next to his wife and the adults waited for Draco to open his gifts first.

            Once all the gifts were opened and Draco had taken his gifts upstairs to his room and Narcissa had retreated to the kitchen to oversee the diner preparations, Severus and Lucius retreated to the study.

            As they sat down in front of the fireplace, their favorite place to sit and visit, Lucius said, “I found out why the house elves started hiding my socks again.”

            Severus looked at his friend and lifted an eyebrow.

            Lucius snorted. “That crazy elf of Bella’s has stopped by a few times, talking about how great it is to be free. Frightened the family house elves; had them all worrying which one I was going to set free next. They seemed to think his visits meant I was displeased with one of them.”

            “Well,” Severus drawled. “That would explain how this,” he pulled out the box he had slipped into his pocket, “ended up on my bedside table.”

            Both of Lucius’ brows rose. “And what is that?”

            Severus looked at the box in his hand. “A Christmas gift.”

            “From?” Lucius drawled.

            “Harry.”

            That made Lucius sit up straighter. “Harry? He got you a gift?”

            Severus took the lid off the box and then angled it so that Lucius could see the contents. Lucius frowned.

            “Not exactly what I would have expected,” Lucius said neutrally.

            Severus pulled the folded parchment from the box and handed it over to Lucius. Lucius took the parchment and unfolded it. When he finished reading he looked back at the necklace.

            “He used all of these on the necklace?” Lucius asked.

            “As far as I can tell. I tried to test the necklace, but I could only tell that the last one was done correctly. But as that one is one of the most difficult of the spells listed and given the level of skill he demonstrated at altering spells the other day, I suspect that not only did he use all of the spells, but they were also done correctly.”

            “Meaning they will all work as they are supposed to. This must have taken a great deal of work,” Lucius said, sounding impressed.

            “Indeed.”

            Lucius gave him a sharp, knowing look.

            Ever since he had realized how much work had gone into the necklace and how powerful a protection the necklace would be, Severus had been struggling with pride. He was proud of Harry. The emotion was strange after years of hating him, but it was definitely there. He tried not to feel it, though. He certainly had not yet earned that right.

            “Are you going to put it on?” Lucius asked, handing the list of protective spells back to Severus.

            Severus replaced the parchment in the box and slowly, carefully lifted the necklace from the box. The chain was a bit long and the necklace slipped over his head easily. Severus carefully dropped the pendant under his robe to lie against his skin. As he went to smooth his robe over the necklace, he realized why Harry had chosen such a delicate looking necklace. The thin chain and small pendant were unnoticeable under his robe. No one would be able to tell he was wearing it.

            “Are you going to get him anything?” Lucius asked.

            Severus gave his best friend a haughty look. “I bought his gift yesterday morning.”


	13. Conversing

            Harry sighed as he picked himself up off the floor and dusted the soot off his clothes. He was finally back at Number 12. If it hadn’t been for Fred, George and Remus, this past Christmas would probably have been on par with the Christmases he had had with his muggle relatives.

            Actually, it might even have been worse. At least on Privet Drive Harry had been locked in his cupboard all day. From the moment Harry had gone downstairs for breakfast at the Burrow he had had to put up with lectures from Hermione, Ginny wanting to get back together, Mrs. Weasley’s jealousy over Fleur, and Ron acting weird.

            Harry was too annoyed and tired to even laugh at the thought that all he wanted to do was go to the library and lose himself in the old books.

            Harry went up to his room and left his overnight bag on his bed. He got his notebook out of his bedside table and headed down to the library.

            He stopped short in the doorway to the library. There, sitting on his side of the table, was a brightly wrapped package. Moving closer, Harry gave a small laugh. The package was wrapped in green and red. Checking the tag, Harry’s suspicions were proved correct. Harry recognized Snape’s handwriting from the lengthy and numerous comments the man had left on his Potions essays over the years.

            Reaching the table, Harry set his notebook beside the box. Standing next to table, Harry reached out to unwrap the present. His hand hovered over the box for a long moment before he finally pulled at the ribbon, unraveling the bow. Pulling the ribbon free and then pulling at the wrapping paper, Harry slowly unwrapped his gift.

            Once he got the box opened, Harry looked inside. He laughed at what he saw. It was just like Snape to get him books for a Christmas present.

            Curious, Harry pulled out the books one by one and set them on the table. They got more and more interesting as he went. The first two were new, popular books on Quidditch. Next were two books on advanced defensive spells and then a book on the Dark Arts. Not a book with dark spells, but rather a book covering what spells were illegal and why; listing and describing ‘dark’ creatures; and covering defensive measures against some of the more common dark spells and creatures. After that, there were a few old books similar to the ones Harry was working on from the library at Number 12.

            Harry shook his head. The box was obviously magic. There was no way that many books should have fit into the box sitting on the table.

            Then there were only three books left. The next one caused Harry to pause. It didn’t have a title and, while it wasn’t new, it wasn’t that old either. He lifted he front cover and his breath caught in his throat.

            It was a notebook, like the one he had started. Only there on the front page was the name _Lily Evans_. Harry flipped a few pages and saw notes similar to the ones that filled his notebook. After a few minutes, Harry carefully set it aside. The one after that was another of his mother’s notebooks. Harry wondered how hard it must have been for Snape to give these to him, especially if the man had kept them all this time even when he had thought she had betrayed him.

            After setting the second of his mother’s notebooks aside, Harry eagerly reached for the last book in the box. Lifting it out of the box, Harry nearly dropped it when he caught sight of the cover. He felt hot all over as embarrassment washed through him. He knew he must be bright red. The last book in the box was a very thick book titled _Romance and Sex: a Modern Wizard’s Guide to Being Gay_. The little blurb on the front read: _A comprehensive guide covering everything from an introduction of the mechanics of gay sex to advice on marriage and family._

            Suddenly, Harry pictured Snape, _his **father**_ , in a book store buying this book. He burst out laughing, trying to picture the look on the store clerk’s face. He laughed harder as he imagined the clerk being one of Snape’s former students.

            When he finally calmed down, he noticed a slip of parchment had fallen out of the book. Picking it up, Harry burst out laughing again. Written on the parchment in Snape’s handwriting was a spell for disguising the book so he could read it without worrying about getting caught.

            When Harry had once again managed to calm down, he ran a hand through his hair. He wasn’t sure if this was more of Snape’s concern for him or if it was the man’s way of trying to tell Harry that he was okay with Harry being gay. Either way, between this last book and his mother’s notebooks, Harry considered this to be the best Christmas gift he had gotten.

            Shaking his head, Harry put all but his mother’s notebooks back into the box. He would take them up to his room later. Setting the box on the floor, Harry sat down to read through his mother’s books.

***********************************

            The next morning was even more awkward than the day after Harry and Severus had learned about the truth about their relationship. For a while, Harry just stood next to the table in the library, where he had been seated working on his mother’s notes, while Severus stood in the doorway. Neither said anything.

            Severus lifted his hand and smoothed his robe over the necklace he was wearing. He dropped his hand when he saw Harry had noticed and he looked past Harry to the books on the table.

            Harry blushed bright red when he saw Snape looked past him. He had looked through the, uh, _romance_ book last night before going to bed. He had had an even harder time after that thinking of Snape buying that book for him.

            Finally, Harry couldn’t stand the silence any longer. “Um, thank you. Ah, for the, uh, gift. The books.” Harry waved his hand in a vague gesture and blushed brighter.

            Severus inclined his head. “I appreciated your gift as well. It must have taken a great deal of time and effort.”

            Harry shrugged, smiling shyly. When Snape just continued to stand in the doorway, Harry gestured to the table. “Going to join me?”

            Severus inclined his head once more and walked over to his side of the table.

            After that, things settled back into the routine they had established before. Both turned to their respective books. Sometime later, Harry built up the courage to ask Snape about his mother’s notebooks.

            “So, um. Where did you get my mum’s notebooks?”

            Severus tensed. He should have expected that question, but when he had retrieved the books from his family vault at Gringotts he had only been thinking about whether or not Harry would want them and if he could really part with them.

            “Lily and I had often borrowed each other’s notes. Those,” Severus gestured to the two books sitting on Harry’s side of the table, “I had not had an opportunity to return to her.” He kept his face impassive as he remembered finding the books after Lily had married James Potter.

            Harry frowned at him. “I talked to Remus at the Burrow. He told me that you and my mum had stopped having anything to do with each other in your fifth year at Hogwarts. He said you three studied for NEWTs together, but you and my mum weren’t too happy about having anything to do with each other.”

            Severus sighed. It was strange to explain this to someone. “We did have our arguments. However, I was eventually able to make it clear to Lily that I was only joining the Dark Lord to provide an insight into his plans. By the time we had…reconciled I was in pretty deep. We knew we would have to keep our relationship a secret, so we kept up the pretense of having ended our friendship.”

            Harry nodded. It made sense.

            “After we graduated,” Severus continued, “we would get together in the muggle world. We had an apartment just outside of Manchester.” Severus found it difficult to continue as memories assaulted him; memories he had not allowed himself to revisit in a long, long time.

            Harry noticed Snape’s reaction and decided to change the subject. After a short silence, Harry asked, “So, how’s it going?” He gestured at the books on Snape’s side of the table.

            Severus’ eyes dropped to the notes he had made. “I have managed to alter the spell so that I will be able to tell a great deal more about the unknown binding spells. I will be ready tomorrow. The only thing left is to look over my notes to make certain everything is correct.”

            “Good,” Harry said. “It’s really hard knowing that the spells are affecting me without knowing just what it is they are doing.” He frowned. “I just wish I could get rid of them.”

            “That is certainly to be expected, but it would be best to wait and go slowly.”

            Harry sighed. “Yeah. With my luck, if we try anything too soon things will get a lot worse.”

            Severus snorted and made a show of turning back to his work. “That, I’m afraid, may very well come from me.” He looked up in surprise when he heard Harry laugh.

            “Yeah,” Harry said, his eyes sparkling. “You probably are the only one who’d get what it’s like to have my kind of luck.”

            Severus raised an eyebrow at him.

            Harry continued to smile. “I was just thinking. Every year I have had to deal with Voldemort. And every year, you’ve been there, dealing with him too. Maybe you weren’t right in the middle of things like me, but you were there. There was the incident with Fluffy and getting set on fire in my first year. Then-”

            “Fluffy?”

            “Hagrid’s dog. The one with three heads. It was guarding the stone, remember?”

            Severus frowned. “And getting set on fire?”

            “Um, I didn’t tell you this, but that was Hermione. She thought you were the one who was hexing my broom.” Harry was surprised at how easy it was to share that with Snape. He knew he shouldn’t be sharing secrets just yet, but it was years ago. Besides, maybe he still just a little bit annoyed with her right now.

            “I see,” Severus said, raising his eyebrow, indicating Harry should continue.

            Their conversation went through each of Harry’s previous years at Hogwarts and the subsequent dealings with Voldemort and other major events.

            In second year, everyone had had to deal with the frozen students. While Harry was dealing with the students fearing him, Severus had had to deal with Dumbledore pushing him to finish the potion to cure them-before they had even figured out what was going on.

            Both shuddered at the mention of Lockhart. Severus surprised Harry by laughing when Harry admitted what had really happened with the man in the Chamber of Secrets and again when Harry had admitted he had preferred scrubbing cauldrons to the detention he had had with Lockhart.

            Harry hesitated to bring up third year, when he had stunned the older man and when Remus had nearly attacked them. He laughed at the stories Snape shared about Peter Pettigrew, both at Hogwarts and as a servant to the Dark Lord.

            As the conversation turned to the Tri-wizard Tournament, Harry admitted the trouble he had had with Ron in fourth year. Snape surprised him by making scathing comments about Ron and then seeming to regret it. Harry could see the man really was trying to make their new relationship work.

            They both enjoyed a long discussion of the flaws of Umbridge. Harry was not the only one surprised at how much fun they had taking turns complaining about and insulting the witch. Severus was shocked, horrified and enraged when he learned she had used a blood quill. Harry showed him the scar on the back of his hand.

            Harry hesitated only briefly before he told Snape about the DA. Severus smirked and suggested Harry should consider becoming a professor at Hogwarts rather than an Auror. Severus again felt that flash of pride in Harry’s abilities and again pushed it down.

            The discussion made an interesting turn when it reached the previous school year. Harry was shocked to learn that Snape had been the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. Though Snape had confiscated the book after Harry had only had a chance to use it in a few Potions classes, Harry had become quite fond of the Half-Blood Prince; not that he told Snape _that_. Instead, they talked about the Potions shortcuts from the book and Harry asked Severus to continue teaching him to create and alter spells once they returned to Hogwarts.

            Severus agreed. He was actually looking forward to it. They also discussed methods to meet and talk once they returned to Hogwarts.

            By the time the conversation wound down, they had talked for several hours. Harry felt like their conversation had helped them work through their past together. In a way, the conversation had almost been cathartic for him. He had been ready to make peace with their past and move forward, but that wasn’t necessarily an easy thing to do.

            Talking with Snape, _laughing_ with him, Harry really _felt_ like he had made a huge step towards putting their past behind him and turning his focus on the relationship they were building.

            Not long after the conversation faded, they both returned to their research. Nothing was said, but both felt that their truce was a little less fragile than before. They were both a little less hesitant, a little less tentative.


	14. The Spells

            Harry resisted the urge to get up and pace. He was sitting in the library at the table waiting for Snape to arrive. He had been up since before five and he hadn’t gotten much sleep before that. He knew that knowing about the binding spells did not change anything; he knew it didn’t change how the spells affected him. Knowing that didn’t make it any easier to wait.

            Finally, Snape swept into the room. He frowned at Harry when he jumped up from his seat.

            “So,” Harry said nervously. “Are you ready?”

            Severus’ frown deepened. “You do realize that I will only be able to tell you what the spells are doing, do you not? I will not be able to remove them.”

            Harry nodded impatiently. “I know, but I want to know what these spells are doing to me.” Harry frowned. “Will you be able to tell who…?”

            “Not for certain, but I should be able to narrow it down somewhat.”

            “Okay,” Harry said. “So, can we do it now?”

            Severus raised an eyebrow at Harry. This was the first of Harry’s characteristic impatience he had seen for…several months come to think of it.

            Harry caught the look and sighed. “I know, I know. But how would you feel if you found out you had two binding spells on you and you had no idea who was responsible or how they were affecting you?”

            Severus conceded the point, though certainly not out loud, and moved over to the sofa. Harry followed and they sat next to each other as they had days ago.

            As he had before, Harry held still, hardly daring to breathe. This time, Snape moved his wand in a series of complicated patterns while it sounded like he chanted under his breath. From what little Harry could hear, it didn’t sound like Snape was speaking English.

            As before, the web of colored lines appeared in front of Harry. As the image grew more distinct, Snape pulled out a scroll with his free hand and touched the tip of his wand to it as he finished chanting. The scroll looked to pulse for just a few seconds and then the image in front of Harry faded.

            Harry looked at Snape expectantly.

            Severus turned and set the scroll on the coffee table and unrolled it. Harry moved closer and they read through the information on the scroll together. Well, Harry tried. There were several parts that he didn’t understand. Finally, Harry just sat back and waited for Snape to finish. He was surprised to see a look of disgust on the man’s face as he finished and leaned back.

            “It shouldn’t be too difficult to discover the people responsible for the other binding spells,” Severus said, his tone as disgusted as the look on his face.

            Harry’s brows rose and he waited for Snape to explain.

            Severus caught Harry’s look. “You couldn’t venture a guess?” He raised an eyebrow.

            Harry rolled his eyes. “Perhaps I could if I knew what that,” Harry waved at the scroll, “meant.”

            Severus frowned, but then he realized that Harry would not have had an opportunity to have learned some of the terms used in the scroll. “Well, allow me to translate and let us see if we come to the same conclusion as to who is responsible.”

            Harry watched as Snape waved his wand and the image of colored lines appeared again. Snape moved his wand again and, with a few words, the bright red line faded out. Another wave of his wand, a few more words and the image changed again. This time the burgundy line was obviously the focus.

            “Let’s start with this one. This one has some very unusual characteristics; characteristics I think you will be quite interested in.

            “This” Severus said, gesturing to the burgundy line, “is a dark spell. It is very old and few people are familiar with it. It was made illegal centuries ago because it sinks into a person’s blood after a period of time. Usually around a year, a year and a half. Once it has completely bonded to a person’s blood it cannot be removed without killing the person it was used on.”

            Harry paled and swallowed, hard. “So, you mean…?”

            “Actually, because of the spell Lily used on you, I believe I will be able to remove it without causing you any harm. However, another trait of this spell is that it allows the caster to know when it is ended. As ending the spell usually means the person it was used on is dead, when we remove the spell the caster will know and will think you have died.”

            Harry was thoughtful. “Well, that could be useful. Depending on who cast the spell, I mean.”

            Severus raised his brows. That was a rather Slytherin comment. “This spell takes a great deal of power to perform. It would have to be a powerful wizard or witch.”

            Harry looked at Snape for a long moment. “Old, dark spell few people know about that can only be performed by a powerful witch or wizard. And you’re sure it wasn’t Voldemort?”

            “This spell was done around two years after the one Lily placed on you. If Lily had done the binding spell as soon as you were born…”

            “I would have been two years old. Voldemort would have been far too weak to have done it.”

            Severus nodded. He waited to see if Harry would try to come up with alternatives, try to make excuses or if he would call Severus a liar.

            Harry kept his face impassive. “And what does this spell do? What affect is it having on me?” Harry asked neutrally.

            Again, Severus was surprised at Harry’s response. He was also a bit impressed. The boy everyone referred to as the consummate Gryffindor was showing a tendency towards very Slytherin thinking.

            “This spell affects you in several ways and it is a very subtle spell. It causes a shorter attention span by inducing a constant state of restlessness. This would make it difficult for you to focus, especially on activities that require a lot of mental concentration. It also makes your temper much more volatile. It encourages impulsive actions. It also makes you more…susceptible to the suggestions of the caster and creates a certain amount of…affection towards the caster.”

            “So, basically, this spell makes sure I act like the ultimate Gryffindor and that I’m easily manipulated by the person who put the binding spell on me. Oh, and that I feel _affection_ towards the person who has done this. Is that about right?” Harry managed to ask neutrally.

            “In essence, yes.” Severus inclined his head. He was surprised that Harry had made the connections on his own to the Gryffindor traits.

            “So, when this spell is removed, what? I’ll be a completely different person?”

            “No. The spell does not actually change your personality. It only changes how your personality is expressed and which aspects of your personality are more often revealed. Tell me, have you felt like a different person lately?” Severus asked with a raised brow.

            Harry frowned.

            “Have you not noticed any changes in yourself recently? For example, you have spent hours a day working on research the few days I have been here. Is that not unusual for you?”

            Harry blinked. “Yes. I had noticed actually.” He frowned. “I’ve been able to concentrate on my class work much easier and I’ve felt much calmer.” he looked at Snape. “What does that mean?”

            Severus raised his wand and the burgundy line faded a bit and the murky blue-green line became the center of the image.

            “The reason I started with the older one first is because it is being affected by this one,” Severus said, gesturing to the blue-green line.

            “Affected how?” Harry asked.

            “It will be easier to explain from the beginning. You see, this,” Severus again gestured to the blue-green line, “is actually the result of two spells.”

            “Two?” Harry asked.

            “Yes. The person responsible is a witch or wizard with only an average amount of power. The caster made two attempts to perform the same spell, but he or she was much too weak and unskilled to be able to manage the spell they had been attempting.”

            “I take it you know what spell they attempted?”

            “Yes. It is also a dark spell requiring a great deal of power. It is…a love spell.” Severus watched for Harry’s reaction. He was certain only one person could be responsible for this spell.

            “A love spell?!” Harry asked incredulously.

            Severus nodded. “The spell, when done correctly, causes a person to fall in love with the caster and also makes it impossible for that person to feel anything else for anyone else. That is, once they fall in love with the caster they become quite…devoted to the caster; they will never so much a look at another. It also dulls significantly _any_ other emotion the person might have other than the love of the caster.”

            Harry shuddered at the thought. “And since it wasn’t done correctly?”

            “The first time, the spell simply created what might amount to a crush or a significant increase in affection towards the caster. It was not very strong and the effect would have faded until it was no longer affecting you.” Severus paused to let Harry think about that.

            “Ginny,” Harry whispered. He fought the urge to rush to the bathroom and lose the small breakfast he had managed to eat that morning.

            Severus kept his face impassive. “That would be my guess.”

            “But once it faded, it stopped affecting me, right?” Harry said. He pushed aside the urge to be sick and tried to understand.

            “Yes. However, after the effect faded, I would guess Miss Weasley was not pleased-”

            Harry snorted. “You could say that,” he cut in.

            Severus raised an eyebrow and continued. “After the first attempt failed, she tried again. Only she must have done so while extremely angry. Anger could explain the increase in the strength of the spell the second time it was attempted. However, with her lack of skill the increase in power meant the spell was even less successful the second time, at least in terms of what she was trying to achieve.”

            “Which means…what?”

            “This second attempt is when the spell began to interfere with the older one. Between Miss Weasley’s lack of power and skill and the presence of the older spell and its affects, the second spell…changed from what it was intended to be. The result is an altogether different spell.

            “The second spell has nearly completely counteracted the older binding spell. That’s why you have been noticing some changes in yourself. It has also… “ Severus broke off, trying to find the right words to explain. “For lack of a better way to explain, it has also caused you to respond much more to a person’s true intentions rather than their actions or the words they say. It may also have caused you to notice things you have previously been unaware of.”

            Severus fell silent to give Harry time to think over everything they had learned of the spells.

            Harry thought what Snape had said, in the silence that fell. He frowned as he considered just what it all meant. Ginny had used a love spell on him. Twice. “Well, that explains why she kept thinking our break up was only temporary and kept trying to get back together when I went to the Burrow,” he muttered.

            Severus raised an eyebrow, but kept silent.

            Harry’s frowned deepened as a thought occurred to him. He looked at Snape and asked, “In the beginning of the school year, did you noticed anything different in the amount of time I was spending with Ron and Hermione?”

            Severus frowned at this question. It was not one he had been expecting. “No. The three of you are almost constantly in each other’s company. At least, you are always with at least one of them. It was only around the second or third month of the term that you began to spend less time with them.”

            Harry was stunned. How badly must that older spell have been affecting him if Ron and Hermione had been… _stalking_ him for years and he never noticed?! Now that he really thought about it, Snape was right. While it had started to bother him a lot more recently, Ron and Hermione _had_ always been around nearly all the time.

            “It almost makes me want to leave the other spells in place,” Harry muttered. Seeing Snape’s surprise, Harry explained. “If it allows me to react to people’s real intentions and let’s me notice things I would probably miss…”

            Severus shook his head. “When I said it would allow you to notice things you might have previously been unaware of I was referring to the fact that you are actually quite intelligent, a quick learner and quite good at research and academics. With the spell preventing the older spell from causing you to react as you had been for many years, you were finally freed to reach your full potential. The older spell has, in effect, acted like mental restraints.”

            Harry thought that, though it hadn’t been exactly what Snape had meant, it was the same thing. The older spell had kept him from noticing Ron and Hermione’s behavior. “Still, the intentions thing-”

            Again, Severus shook his head.  “That is really not much more than what I can do after years of spying. With a little practice and study of body language, you could do the same thing without having some binding spell affecting you.”

            Harry nodded. He liked the idea.

            The silence lasted much longer this time as Harry thought back over everything Snape had told him. A lot of things went through Harry’s mind as he thought about the spells and their effects. Finally, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

            “So. Ginny used a love spell on me. Twice. Which turned out to be a good thing because the second time she messed it up, it ended up counteracting a spell that has been affecting me since I was two. Am I the only one to think the older spell could only have been done by one person?” Harry looked at Snape.

            Severus kept his face impassive and merely raised a brow.

            Harry sighed and nodded. “So, Dumbledore has used an illegal dark spell on me to make sure I act like a Gryffindor.” Harry snorted. “He did it for the greater good, of course.”

            Severus just looked at Harry. If he honestly believed that…

            Harry gave a small, tired laugh at Snape’s expression. Well, lack of expression. “At least, that’s what he will tell anyone if it’s ever discovered.” He sighed again. “Well, I’ve been avoiding Ginny since we broke up, so no one will notice if I keep avoiding her now. I’ll have to be careful around Dumbledore though.”

            After another moment of silence, Harry continued. “I can’t remove the spells, either, because if I remove Ginny’s then Dumbledore’s will start to affect me again and I can’t remove his because he will know right away. And I certainly don’t want him to know I know.” Harry frowned.

            “No, that would probably not be a good idea,” Severus agreed.

            There was another silence, this one lasting for several minutes. Suddenly, Harry sighed.

            “I really don’t feel like thinking about this anymore right now.” He ran a hand through his hair and looked over at Snape. “What are you going to do with the last few days of break?”

            Severus was surprised at the question. Harry had been surprising him often lately. “I suppose I will go back to Hogwarts. Why do you ask?”

            Harry frowned. “Well, I was thinking. If you didn’t have anything else to do, could you teach me more about spell alteration and creation? We won’t have much time to work on it back at Hogwarts, I know.”

            “I can,” Severus said. If he went back to Hogwarts, he would probably run into the Headmaster and he didn’t want to deal with the man right now. Especially after what he had learned. Harry was not the only one with much to think about.

            “Great,” Harry said.

            They moved to the library table. Later, in the privacy of their beds, they would turn their minds back to what they had learned. For now, they put the topic aside and turned their attention to other things


	15. Books

            Harry sat at a table in the library at Hogwarts and sighed. This was the only place he could think of to escape to; even Hermione usually waited for at least a week before she began to make her regular trips to the Hogwarts library.

            The train ride to Hogwarts had been a nightmare. Harry wasn’t sure if it was the peace of his time alone at Number 12 or if it was the weight of the knowledge of the binding spells, but the very presence of Ron and Hermione in the same compartment irritated him.

            Of course, Hermione’s interrogation hadn’t helped any. She demanded an account of every second that Harry had spent alone. She dressed it up as worry and curiosity, but it was nothing less than an interrogation.

            The feast had only been bearable because he had sat next to Neville talked with him about what he had done during the break. After the feast, Harry had walked through the common room and went straight to his bed. He had pulled his bed curtains closed and had read for a couple hours before getting a shower and going to bed.

            This morning he had again gotten up early in an attempt to avoid Ron and Hermione and had spent breakfast studying with Neville. Harry felt guilty. Not that he was avoiding Ron and Hermione, but rather because he _didn’t_ feel guilty for avoiding the two people he had considered his best friends for the past six years.

            Harry was jerked from his musings by the sight of Blaise Zabini. The Slytherin was moving carefully as he walked around the bookshelves.

            “Zabini,” Harry said in a loud whisper.

            The Slytherin jerked around. Harry saw his hand fly to his pocket, obviously reaching for his wand. Seeing Harry, Zabini relaxed and walked over to the table. He continued to move slowly and carefully. He eased himself into the chair across from Harry.

            “Are you okay?” Harry asked, frowning.

            “Yeah, I’m-” Zabini broke off with a hiss of pain as he reached down to get a book out of his bag.

            Harry just raised his brows in question.

            Zabini sighed and put his books on the table. “Just had a small…accident on the train yesterday.”

            Harry frowned. “The kind of accident that has you hiding in the library?”

            Zabini just shrugged. Well, he started to, but he broke off with a pained expression.

            “Have you been to the infirmary?” Harry asked.

            Zabini just gave Harry a look that suggested that Harry was an idiot for even asking. Harry snorted.

            “Yeah, yeah. Big, strong, cunning Slytherin like you doesn’t need help with anything,” Harry said, amused.

            Zabini merely raised his brows at Harry’s teasing.

            Harry, who had decided after the revelations of the break to no longer worry about the Slytherin-Gryffindor rivalry, said, “Oh, come on, Blaise. It’s only the first full day we have been back. Even Hermione hasn’t been to the library yet. You’re obviously hiding out.”

            Blaise blinked at Harry’s use of his first name. “If that’s true, I wouldn’t be the only one ‘hiding out.’ So who are you hiding from, _Harry_?”

            “Ron and Hermione,” Harry said promptly.

            Blaise didn’t seem as surprised as Harry had thought he would. But then again, Harry had avoided them quite a bit before the break and had been spending a lot of time with Blaise.

            “So, what are you reading?” Harry asked. “It’s too early for you to have any homework.” Harry looked over and read the title of the book Blaise had pulled out. His brows lifted as he read the title. It looked like a book of common cleaning spells.

Blaise looked at Harry for a long moment and then pulled out his wand. After performing a spell Harry had recently become familiar with, Blaise pushed the book across the table to Harry.

            Harry’s brows rose even higher. It was a romance novel. A gay romance novel. He flipped it over and read the description on the back. Finally he handed it back to Blaise. “Looks good. Maybe when you’re done with it I can borrow it?”

            Blaise looked surprised. “Sure. I wouldn’t have thought it was your thing, though.”

            Harry snorted. “I could say the same about you.”

            Blaise shrugged a little uncomfortably. “I started reading them when I realized I was gay. There were no other guys in Slytherin that I was interested in, so friendly fumbling wasn’t really an option. So, I found this in a bookstore one day and thought it might be an okay way to learn a bit more. After reading a few, I found I actually really like them.”

            “No Slytherins you were interested in?” Harry asked.

            Blaise grimaced. “Have you _seen_ Crabbe and Goyle?”

            “Yeah.” Harry shuddered. “But what about Nott? Or, come on, Malfoy?”

            Blaise rolled his eyes. “Not really my type, either of them. Besides, one of them has always been…much more interested in someone else and I wasn’t stupid enough to get in the middle of _that_.” He snorted and then muttered something under his breath.

            “What?” Harry asked.

            “Well, what about you?” Blaise asked, quickly changing the subject. “Are there any Gryffindors you’d do if they were willing?” Blaise raised his brows at Harry.

            Harry wrinkled his nose. “God no. I mean, have _you_ seen _them_? I mean, we are talking about _Ron_ ,” Harry nodded when Blaise looked disgusted, “and Seamus and Dean aren’t really my type either. Now, Neville is sweet and cute, but-” Harry broke off when he noticed a strange look on Blaise’s face.

            “What?” Blaise muttered.

            “You like Neville,” Harry said, slightly dazed.

            Blaise scowled, but didn’t disagree.

            “Relax, Blaise. Nev and I are only friends. I wonder if he’s gay,” Harry mused.

            Blaise rolled his eyes. “He’s gone out with a couple girls, Harry. I’m pretty sure he’s straight.”

            It was Harry’s turn to roll his eyes. “I went out with a couple girls too, Blaise. And I can assure you I am one hundred percent gay.”

            “Not me. I’ve always known I was gay.” Blaise frowned. “Harry, can I ask you something?”

            “Sure, what?”

            “How did you figure it out? I mean, I knew from the first. I couldn’t really mistake it when I caught myself trying to catch a peek of my dormmates changing.”

            Harry grimaced. “Well, honestly, for me it was more a matter of what I didn’t do that clued me in. This summer I spent a lot of time at the Burrow with the Weasleys. Most of Ron and Ginny’s siblings are out of the house now, so Ginny and I actually got to spend a lot of time alone.” Harry grimaced again. “Ginny kept wanting to ‘go to the next level’ and I was finding I wasn’t even all that excited about kissing her. In fact, I realized I was gay when I jumped at the chance to de-gnome the garden in an attempt to avoid making out with her.”

            “So, you mean you two never…?”

            “No way. What?” Harry noticed Blaise was giving him a strange look.

            “So, I mean…are you saying you’ve never…with anyone?”

            “No.” Harry wasn’t embarrassed in the least. Even if he hadn’t just realized he was gay, he figured with the numerous times he’s had to deal with Voldemort he should be thankful he had been able to even date at all. “What about you?”

            Blaise blushed a bit and cleared his throat. “Uh, no. I haven’t either.”

            Harry leered playfully at the Slytherin and said, “What? Are you suggesting a little…what did you call it? ‘Friendly fumbling?’”

            Blaise looked at Harry like he was insane. “Harry, are you trying to get me killed? I mean, do you have any idea what would happen if we…? The Slytherins and Gryffindors would both object. Strongly. And with their wands.”

            “With our best friends leading the way,” Harry said. Suddenly he snickered. When Blaise again looked like he was doubting Harry’s sanity, Harry said, “Sorry. I was just imagining Ron and Malfoy teaming up just to show us the ‘error of our ways.’ I mean, could you imagine them working together? I wonder how that first conversation would go…”

            Blaise suddenly snickered. “I do too. I don’t think there is anything more unlikely. Except maybe those two going at it on the Hufflepuff table during lunch.”

            The image was so completely disgusting and absurd that they both burst out laughing.

            “Mr. Zabini! Mr. Potter!” They both jerked around at the sound of the librarian’s voice. “If you do not quiet down this instant I will not allow either of you back into this library for a month!”

            They both meekly nodded and turned back to their books. Blaise blushed and quickly shoved his book out of sight as he had not disguised again it after showing it to Harry. It gave Harry an idea.

            “Hey, Blaise. Do you think you could sneak out later? Meet me somewhere private?” Harry whispered.

            Blaise looked alarmed. “Harry, I wasn’t-I didn’t-! Harry, no offense, you are, uh-”

            Harry gave a soft laugh. “That’s not what I meant! It’s just, for Christmas I got this book. I think you might like to see it.”

            “A book?” Blaise asked skeptically.

            Harry rolled his eyes. “No, Blaise. It’s really a ploy to lure you somewhere private just so I can have my wicked way with you. Yes, a book.” Harry grinned. “Trust me. I think you’ll like it.”

************************************

 Harry checked the time once again. Blaise had agreed to meet him in a little used classroom on the second floor. Finally, Harry heard Ron’s bed curtains close. Giving the redhead a few minutes to fall asleep, Harry quietly muttered the spell he had used to get to Gringotts unnoticed. He was grateful he wouldn’t have to use the invisibility cloak. Not only had it gotten too small, but he felt uncomfortable using it now that he knew he wasn’t James Potter’s son.

            Harry slipped out of bed and hurried to the meeting point. He dropped the spell when he was close to the arrange meeting point and then quietly slipped into the classroom.

            “Okay, Harry. What book was so special that I had to sneak here to see it?” Blaise asked as Harry came into the room.

            Harry smirked and walked over to where Blaise was leaning against a desk. He pulled out the book, laid it on the desk and performed the same spell Blaise had used earlier in the library.

            Blaise swore when he saw the title, sounding a little awed. “I thought you said no one knew you were gay?”

            “I told a couple of people over break. No one who is still a student here, though.” Harry watched as Blaise opened the book and thought of his most recent peek in the book. “Blaise, can wizards really have children?”

            Blaise looked up, startled. “Of course. You didn’t know that?”

            Harry shook his head. “I was raised by muggles.”

            Blaise shook his head. “Well, yeah. I certainly plan to have both a husband and kids someday.”

            They both turned back to the book and flipped through it. There were snickers, blushes, and comments. They were so immersed in the book that they never noticed the door opening behind them.

            “What is going on in here?” a dark voice asked.

            Both boys spun around at the question. Blaise, nearly out of habit, automatically snapped his Slytherin mask into place. Harry blushed and not-so-subtly closed the book and slipped it back into his bag.

            Severus noticed Harry’s blush and saw him trying to hide the book. He was far too intelligent to not know which book Harry was trying to hide. Looking back and forth between Harry and Blaise Zabini, Severus noticed that the two were standing rather close together and seemed quite comfortable with each other. Despite Blaise’s indifferent mask, his body language gave him away.

            Severus was pleased, and a bit smug, that the boy Harry was interested in was a Slytherin. Certainly, Harry could do much worse. When Harry had first told him his interest in a particular boy, Severus had been half afraid Harry was talking about Ron Weasley. Blaise was a good Slytherin, his family was neutral in the war and he was second in potions only to Draco. Yes, he would be a good match for Harry.

            When it became obvious that neither boy was going to answer him, Severus let the silence stretch out just a little longer before acting as he would have before the break.

            “Ten points from Gryffindor for being out after curfew, Potter, and detention tomorrow at seven. Mr. Zabini, I suggest you return to the dungeons.” Severus turned to sweep from the room, but as he did so out of the corner of his eye he saw Harry wink at Blaise and then saw Blaise give a small, silent moan before he followed after him. _It seemed Harry’s interest is returned,_ Severus thought as he headed for the dungeons. _Perhaps…_


	16. Long Day

            The next day Harry woke early as was quickly becoming a habit for him. This time he and Neville went down to breakfast together. Harry had always liked Neville and, even before the events at the Ministry, Harry had always thought people underestimated him.

            They talked about their studies. Harry had been studying with Neville almost as much as with Blaise this school year. As they sat at the Gryffindor Table in the Great Hall, Neville asked, “Hey, Harry?”

            “Yeah, Nev?”

            “I noticed you haven’t been hanging out with Ron and Hermione as much as usual, well, for a while now.”

            Harry shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t want to explain, didn’t know how to explain, that the people everyone thought of as his two best friends were starting to annoy the hell out of him.

            “Well, I was just wondering,” Neville rushed on, “if you aren’t, um, studying with them would you study with me? I could, um, really use some help with DADA. I was talking with Gran over break and…well, it’s NEWTs this year and I really want to-”

            “Neville, breathe,” Harry cut in. “It’s okay. I’d love to study together. I don’t mind helping you with DADA. Think you could help me with Herbology? You’ve always been the best in that class.”

            Neville blushed a little at that. “Thanks, Harry.” He winced. “I guess I’ll have to keep going to Hermione for Potions help, though.” He sighed and muttered, “I hate going to Hermione for help.”

            Harry was surprised. This was probably another of those things he had missed because of the stupid binding spell. Then again, Harry was finding he didn’t really like Hermione too much either anymore without the spell to distract him from how annoying she could be. “You don’t like asking Hermione for help?”

            Neville blushed again. “I know she’s your friend-”

            “Nope,” Harry said. “You are my friend too Neville. You can tell me.”

            Neville sighed again. “Whenever I go to Hermione for help she always treats me like I’m an idiot. I know it may seem like I am sometimes, but I can understand things just fine. She always makes me feel like any question I ask is just the stupidest thing she has ever heard. I mean, she never _says_ anything, but the way she talks to me…”

            Harry winced. “Now that you mention it, she’s always been like that. I hadn’t ever noticed before the beginning of the year, but I know exactly what you mean.” Harry had an idea. He looked around the still nearly empty Great Hall and then leaned close to whisper to Neville, “Neville, you can keep a secret, right?”

            “Of course, Harry,” Neville said.

            Harry nodded. Neville _had_ always been good at keeping secrets. “Well, I think I may know someone who can help us with Potions. I have to ask first, but if he agrees, would you have a problem studying with a Slytherin?”

            Neville’s eyes widened. “I wouldn’t mind, but I can’t think of any Slytherins that would agree.”

            Harry nodded. “Don’t worry. I think he will agree. I’ll let you know what he says.”

            Neville nodded and they turned back to their breakfasts.

***********************************

            Harry walked into the Potions classroom in front of Ron and tried to hold on to his temper. Fortunately, after a lifetime of learning to restrain a much more volatile temper, Harry was succeeding. Luckily for Ron.

            Finally, they sat down and Snape stood. Ron shut up as soon as Snape stood and Harry breathed a quiet sigh of relief. If he had had to listen to Ron whine for one more minute…

            “Today you will be working in pairs to brew this,” Severus said and pointed his wand at the blackboard where writing appeared, “potion. Weasley,” Snape sneered, “you will be working with Mr. Malfoy. Switch seats with Mr. Zabini.”

            Ron was far from the only one to be surprised by the instructions he had been given. Usually, Snape would pair Harry and Draco when he was feeling particularly malicious. Never had he paired Harry with any other Slytherin.

            Draco was furious and a bit outraged by this sudden change.

            Harry only just managed not to take a peek at Blaise as Ron just sat beside him, confused.

            Snape scowled. “Mr. Weasley, were my instructions too complicated for you? Move. Now!”

            Ron shot to his feet, quickly gathered his things and moved. Once he and Blaise were in their new seats, Snape gave the order to begin working and then turned to sit at his desk.

            As people began to gather ingredients, Harry and Blaise finally chanced a look at each other. Their eyes met for only seconds before both turned to look at Ron and Draco, already arguing, and then turning back to each other. They both began to laugh, though they managed to muffle the sound so that most didn’t notice.

            As they calmed down and set to work on preparing their potions ingredients, Blaise said, “So what was that about this morning?”

            “What?” Harry said, speaking quietly just as Blaise had.

            “I just noticed you talking to Longbottom at breakfast. He was doing a lot of blushing.”

            Harry suppressed a smile. “Come on, Blaise, I already told you Nev and I are just friends. There’s no reason to be jealous. I was just-”

            Blaise suddenly made a small sound and Harry looked over at him. He paled a bit when he noticed that Snape had moved with his usual, seemingly unnatural silence and was walking past their table. Snape merely raised an eyebrow and moved on to Ron and Draco’s table. Harry wondered if the man had heard him.

            “You **_are_** trying to get me killed!” Blaise said in a pained whisper.

            Harry snickered. “Anyway, like I was saying, I was just talking to Neville about studying. He asked me for help with DADA and I asked for his help in Herbology. He was a bit embarrassed when I told him he has always been the best in that class.”

            “Herbology?” Blaise said thoughtfully.

            Harry gave him a small smirk. “Already one step ahead of you, Blaise. We also talked about how we hate going to Hermione for help with Potions and I told him I might know someone who would be able to help us, if he didn’t mind working with a Slytherin. He said he wouldn’t mind, which is what I had figured.”

            Blaise frowned. “Potions? But he isn’t taking NEWT-level Potions with us.”

            Harry shook his head. “No, but he wants to be a Herbologist. Apparently the position he really wants requires at least an E in Potions at the OWL level since Herbologists are so often responsible for cultivating potions ingredients. He has gotten special permission to do supplemental work these past two years and he is going to take the Potions OWL again along with all of his NEWTs.”

            Blaise said nothing, but Harry saw that he looked impressed. Harry nodded.

            “Neville is not the kind of guy to be afraid of hard work. Especially if it’s something he really wants.”

            At the end of class, Harry and Blaise had managed to brew the potion correctly. They exchanged a look as Ron and Draco’s voices rose again. All class period, it had seemed like the two were just about to break into a fistfight.

            By unspoken agreement, Harry and Blaise fled the classroom the moment class was over, avoiding Ron and Draco. As everyone else was doing the same, no one noticed. No one, that is, except for the Potions Master standing at the front of the class. Severus crossed his arms over his chest and watched the two retreating students thoughtfully.

***********************************

            After Potions, Harry had lunch and then Transfiguration. At lunch, it was too busy for Harry to talk to Neville, but Harry figured he could wait until tomorrow at breakfast if necessary.

            When he walked into the Transfiguration classroom, Harry noticed Professor McGonagall frown at him. Harry couldn’t think of anything he had done wrong, unless she had heard about his detention later that night. However, she didn’t say anything so Harry pushed the frown from his mind and took notes.

            It was at the end of class that McGonagall said, “Mr. Potter, please stay for a moment. I need to speak with you.”

            When all of the other students had left, Harry walked up to his Head of House’s desk and waited.

            She frowned at him again. “Mr. Potter, just before lunch Madam Pince, the librarian, stopped me to mention an incident with you and a Slytherin yesterday in the library.”

            Harry winced. “She did?”

            “Yes, Mr. Potter, she did. She said the two of you had gotten quite loud. Harry, you need to try to avoid fighting with the Slytherins. I understand with everything that is going on with the war that that is particularly difficult right now, but you need to try.”

            “You’re right, Professor. I’m sorry,” Harry mumbled. He was relieved that she had thought the librarian was talking about fighting. The less people noticed the changes in him this past school year, the less likely it would be to get back to Dumbledore and Harry did not want the old wizard to find out he knew about the binding spell.

            The stern witch nodded and let Harry leave.

**********************************

            After dinner, Harry sat in the common room talking with Neville while he waited until it was time for his detention. Harry and Neville were talking about the best times and places to study, especially if they were going to be studying with a Slytherin, when Ron and Hermione marched across the common room towards them.

            “Harry,” Hermione said in what Harry had come to think of as her bitchiest tone, the one that said ‘I am in charge. You will do what I say and tell me what I want to know. NOW.’ “Why have you been avoiding us?”

            Harry turned to Hermione with a look of surprise. “Avoiding you? What do you mean Hermione?”

            “Harry,” Hermione said haughtily. “You spend nearly no time at all with us anymore. You don’t even work on homework with us or ask me to go over your essays for you. So, why have you been avoiding us?”

            “Hermione,” Harry said apologetically. “I know I have not been spending a lot of time with you guys lately, but it’s not that I’ve been avoiding you. It’s just that…well, after talking with Dumbledore I realized that there’s going to be a day when the war is over and we are all ready to move on with our lives. I realized I wasn’t really giving my future after the war a lot of thought. So, I’ve really been working hard hoping to do well on my NEWTs.

            “I haven’t been studying and working with you two because I always find something to distract myself with, like talking Quidditch with Ron. And I haven’t been coming to you and asking you to go over my work because I have been doing it myself. You can’t help me on the NEWTs and I have been using my grades as a way to see how much more work I need to do.

            “I really am sorry, Hermione. It’ll get better after the NEWTs.” Harry looked up at her with the most sincere, apologetic look he could manage. Apparently, it was a pretty good attempt, because Hermione softened a bit and nodded.

            “Okay, Harry. I can understand that.”

            “But why have you been spending so much more time with Neville than us?” Ron asked belligerently.

            “Um, I asked Harry to help me with DADA,” Neville said nervously.

            “And I asked Neville to help me study Herbology,” Harry said. “That’s also why we’ve been going down to breakfast so early. We use the extra time to study a bit before class.”

            Harry thought he could probably smooth things over much easier and much sooner if he told them he’d make it up to them and start making time just to hang out with them, but he didn’t want to so he kept quiet.

            Eventually Ron and Hermione went back across the common room and joined Dean and Seamus, who they had been sitting with before they had confronted Harry.

            Harry watched in amazement as they walked across the room, satisfied. He shook his head a bit. He couldn’t believe they actually believed him. Maybe he was a lot more Slytherin than he had thought.

            Harry smirked and then turned back to find Neville giving him a strange look. He gave Neville a sincerely apologetic smile. “Thanks, Neville.”

***********************************

            Heading down to the dungeons for detention, Harry had no idea what to expect. He and Snape had agreed to a truce and they had gotten along fairly well during the break, but Harry wasn’t going to take anything for granted especially after so short a time.

            Though, there was the fact that Snape was acting much more lenient towards Harry. He wasn’t exactly praising him or treating him well so much as he was simply ignoring Harry rather than treating Harry with his usual contempt and disdain. Harry was also complaining a lot less than usual about Snape and was being much less antagonistic towards the Potions Master.

            Harry frowned as he walked along the dungeon corridor. They were going to have to be more careful. Besides Voldemort, they now had to be careful to keep Dumbledore from noticing the change in their relationship too.

            Harry might not be ready to place the Headmaster in the same category as Voldemort, but the old wizard had used an illegal, dark spell on him. While Voldemort’s murderous rampage was making him the main target, Harry definitely considered Dumbledore an enemy too now. Harry was no happier about the old man _controlling_ him for the past seventeen years than he was about Voldemort trying to murder him.

            Reaching the Potions classroom, Harry opened the door and stood just inside. Snape was sitting at his desk at the front of the room and he looked up as Harry stepped into the room. They eyed each other warily for a minute.

            “Come in,” Snape said.

            Once Harry had moved further into the room, Snape used his wand to close the classroom door and then he placed several charms on the door. Harry assumed they were to ensure privacy. Harry wandered further into the room and stopped near Snape’s desk.

            Snape had his expressionless mask firmly in place as he looked at Harry. “I have been thinking about just what to have you do during your detention.”

            “Well, given our history, one could argue that I’ve earned a bit of a break. Certainly a mere half a year’s worth of easy detentions,” Harry said slyly.

            Severus stared at Harry for a moment and then snorted. “You would have made a good Slytherin after all.”

            Harry smirked. “I was thinking the same thing just a while ago.”

            When Snape raised his eyebrows in question, Harry thought for just a second. Really, there was no one else he could talk to about the situation and after everything that had happened over the break, Snape knew much more important things about him.

            “You said you had noticed I haven’t really been spending much time with Ron and Hermione this year? Well, it’s another of those things I’ve started to notice. Have you ever noticed how _annoying_ those two are?!”

            Severus chuckled.

            Harry blinked in surprise at the sound and then nodded and continued. “Well, tonight, Hermione and Ron confronted me about the fact that I’ve not been spending much time with them anymore.” Harry briefly recounted his conversation with them.

            Severus shook his head. “Gryffindors aren’t exactly difficult to fool, especially when you tell them what they want to hear,” Severus said dryly. He looked at the clock and shook his head again. “Nice delaying tactic.”

            Harry looked at the clock and laughed. “Actually, I wasn’t even trying to delay on purpose, but I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” Harry smirked.

            Severus snorted and said, “As I had said when you arrived, I thought quite a bit about how you were going to spend your detention. In the end, I thought that most would agree that extra lessons with me would be considered a suitable punishment.” He smirked at Harry.

            Harry frowned. “Extra lessons?”

            “You had said you wanted me to continue teaching you about spell alteration and creation, did you not?”

            Harry smiled.

********************************

            After Harry’s detention was over, Snape removed the spells from the classroom door and Harry stepped into the corridor. He had only gone a few feet when he was pulled around a corner.

            Harry looked at Blaise like he was insane. “Blaise? What are you doing?”

            Blaise frowned. “We never finished our discussion during class.”

            “What discussion?”

            “About studying,” Blaise said, frowning. “You asked me if I would study with you and Longbottom. I realized I never gave you my answer.”

            “Oh,” Harry said. Harry thought Blaise must _really_ like Neville to do something like this. The Potions classroom was just down the corridor…and so was the Potions Master. “Well? Will you?”

            Blaise glared. “Of course! I wanted to talk to you about when and where we could meet up.”

            “Actually, Neville and I had talked about that,” Harry said. He told Blaise the ideas he and Neville had come up with.

            Blaise was nodding in agreement when Snape stepped around the corner.

            “Mr. Zabini. Mr. Potter.”

            They both jumped and spun around.

            “It is not quite past curfew, but please feel free to stand around for just a little longer so I can give you another detention,” Severus drawled.

            “Sorry, Professor,” Blaise said. “We had gathered our things and left so quickly today after class, I thought Potter here might have grabbed one of my books by mistake.”

            Severus raised an eyebrow and let the silence stretch out uncomfortably. Finally he made a show of checking the time. “Potter, I believe you have three minutes to return to Gryffindor Tower. Mr. Zabini, you will have to take your search for your book to the Slytherin common room.”

            Both boys left quickly. Severus continued on his way to his private quarters, thinking about the two boys.


	17. Undercurrents

            Later in the week, Harry woke early as he had everyday since he had returned from Christmas break. Soon, he and Neville were heading down to the Great Hall. None of the other Gryffindors were even awake yet and the Great Hall was nearly deserted when they sat down for breakfast. In fact, only three of the professors were present: the ancient runes professor, Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick. Even the Headmaster was not there yet.

            They ate quickly and were gone before any other Gryffindors had even come down for breakfast. They headed for the library, which was fortunately open from the time breakfast began until curfew, and were soon ensconced in a far corner of the library.

            Not long after they had settled into their seats, they were joined by Blaise Zabini.

            As soon as Blaise sat down, Harry said, “Neville, you know Blaise. Blaise, you know Neville.” Harry placed a subtle emphasis on their first names.

            Blaise jerked his head in a sharp nod. “Longbottom.”

            Harry shook his head. “Neville,” he said.

            Blaise scowled at Harry.

            Harry smiled at Neville. “You don’t mind using first names do you, Neville? I mean, if this works out we will be studying together regularly until we graduate.”

            “Of course not, Harry,” Neville said. He eyed Blaise warily.

            “So, where should we start?” Harry said, smiling widely.

            “Neville,” Blaise said, “what would you like to start with?”

            Neville blinked in surprise at both the use of his first name and the polite tone used to address him. He licked his lips nervously as he thought about the question.

            Harry hid a smirk as he watched Blaise follow the movement closely. He nearly laughed out loud at the expression on the Slytherin’s face when Neville bit his lip as he looked down at the textbooks on the table.

            “Would you mind if we start with Potions? I think it would be easier to tackle the most difficult subject first,” Neville said.

            Blaise jerked his eyes up to meet Neville’s as the other boy looked up from the books. He nodded. “Potions it is.”

            Harry hid another laugh as Neville blushed, pleased and surprised, and Blaise did a bit of staring. Oh yeah, Blaise had it bad. Harry wondered how long Blaise had liked Neville. _More importantly_ , Harry thought, _is Neville interested in Blaise?_

*********************************

            The next three weeks Harry spent nearly every spare moment with his “study group.” He still hadn’t been able to tell if Neville was interested in Blaise as Neville had always been shy, but the two were getting along much better. The conversation was easier between them and Blaise had even managed to get Neville to laugh a couple of times with his jokes.

            Other than his regular studying and Quidditch practice, Harry spent a _lot_ of time in detention with Snape. That first detention, just before Harry had left, they had discussed the effect their truce was having on the way they were treating one another. They both agreed someone was going to notice soon if they didn’t start acting as they had before break.

            And yet, with their truce in place and the opportunity to often speak privately with the numerous detentions, they actually ended up treating each other much worse than before the break-at least that’s how it appeared to observers. It helped that there was an undercurrent to their interactions that no one else noticed. Where others were seeing extremely vicious exchanges, Harry and Severus had to keep from giving themselves away by laughing at some of the exchanges they had.

            One in particular had others afraid to get in between the two of them. Even McGonagall seemed taken aback by the exchange and she hesitated to step in.

            Harry and Severus had run into each other in the corridor outside of the Great Hall. McGonagall had seen the incident from further down the corridor and had walked towards them hoping to intervene before things got out of hand. As she got closer and heard what was being said, she stopped in shock. She had never heard Harry talk with so much venom. Even Severus, whose bad temper she was quite used to, surprised her with how menacing he became.

            “Potter,” Severus sneered. “No manners whatsoever.”

            Harry, who had his back to McGonagall, smirked. “Funny, Professor. Usually you follow up with a comment about my father. Aren’t you going to tell me about how I inherited my lack of manners from him?” Despite his smirk, he managed to use a sullen, spiteful tone of voice.

            Severus looked at Harry, whose eyes were sparkling with laughter, and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Instead he scowled. “I will admit your father surpasses you in this area, though it appears you are determined to try to live up to his reputation.”

            “Oh, I don’t know, Professor. It doesn’t seem like such a bad reputation to live up to. I’ve heard he was an extremely brave man. Fighting against Voldemort, making impressive sacrifices.” Harry continued to smirk. “Unlike _some_ people who just hide behind the actions of others.” Harry wondered if Snape had caught his reference to the Headmaster.

            Severus blinked and resisted the urge to look at the boy as if he was insane. Instead, he gave an even more impressive scowl. “Yes, because ending up like your father is an excellent goal to aspire to,” Severus sneered. _Stuck in a bloody dungeon teaching a bunch of ungrateful idiots._

            “It could be worse,” Harry said, “I could be a Potions Master with no skill at teaching whatsoever.”

            Severus, who had thought their private lessons had been going rather well, was still surprised at the compliment hidden behind the insulting tone.

            McGonagall gasped. She was not so ignorant as to be unaware that nearly every student was of the opinion that Severus was possibly the worst teacher ever, but to hear a student say so so clearly, much less to the Potions Master’s face, was a complete shock to the stern witch.

            The exchange continued and got more and more vicious from Professor McGonagall’s point of view. To Harry and Severus, who understood the real meanings behind each other’s comments, the conversation grew more and more ridiculous. By the time McGonagall had gotten over her shock, both men were red-faced from the laughter they were suppressing. To McGonagall, it looked like she had stepped in just in time to prevent the two from murdering each other.

            “Mr. Potter! Severus! What is going on here?” She walked over until she was standing beside the two men.

            Severus just scowled once more and said, “I believe you have earned detention every night for the next week, Mr. Potter. I will expect you at seven tomorrow night.” With that the man turned and walked away.

            “Harry!” The witch turned to the younger Gryffindor. She took a deep breath and then said, “I can understand with the war going on as well as NEWTs coming up that you are under a lot of pressure. But to speak to a professor like that-!” She placed a hand to her chest. “Well, there is no arguing that you have earned your detentions. I hope in the future you will manage to hold on to your temper!” She walked away shaking her head, still a bit stunned at some of the things she had overheard. She didn’t even notice that she had never gotten a response from Harry.

            Harry took several deep breaths in an attempt to keep from laughing. Only when he had calmed a bit did he notice that Professor McGonagall was far from the only person to witness the exchange. A crowd of students stood in the doorway to the Great Hall staring at Harry. One young Hufflepuff girl was crying silently.

            Harry was confused for a moment until he realized how the exchange must have looked to the others. Snape had been at his most menacing while they had ‘talked’ and he had effectively terrified the students watching. Harry guessed, given some of the things he had said and the way he had said them, that he had probably shocked nearly every one of the students staring at him as well. He was just grateful that none of the people that mattered was there. Most of the students in his year had already left the Great Hall before Harry had run into the Potions Master.

            Harry looked around at the students staring at him and gave a little nod and quickly walked off. Fortunately he was on his way to meet with Neville and Blaise. He knew that the students who had seen his run in with Snape would tell everyone and he wanted to tell be the one to tell his…well, his friends. Harry wondered how Blaise and Neville would feel if he told them they were well on their way to replacing Ron and Hermione as his best friends. 


	18. Unexpected

            At the end of January Harry was forcefully reminded of the war that was still going on. Apparently, Voldemort was becoming both bolder and more impatient. He attacked Hogwarts.

            It was a stealthy attack, almost more of a test than an all out assault.

            Most of the students had had no idea that an attack had occurred until their Head of House woke them in the middle of the night and told them to dress quickly and report to the Great Hall.

            Once everyone assembled, it was immediately clear from the grim faces of the professors that something was wrong. It didn’t take long before the whispers began as the students also noticed that some of the professors were injured and not all of the professors were present.

            “Silence! Please! Quiet down!” The Headmaster raised his hands and waited as the students settled down. “Thank you. As you may have guessed, we are here to discuss a very serious matter. Tonight, Voldemort has attempted an attack on Hogwarts.” The old wizard fell silent as the students began to talk excitedly.

            There was more than a little fear running through the gathering. Hogwarts was supposed to be safe; they were not supposed to have to fear an attack here. Dumbledore held his hands up again. The students settled down once more.

            “Now, there is no need to fear. The situation has been dealt with. However, I am afraid our DADA professor was killed in the attack and a few other professors were seriously injured.” He paused to let the students adjust to the news. “There was also some damage that needs to be taken care of. I’m afraid that you will all need to return home for a brief period. We have already started contacting your parents. You will have two days to pack. The necessary repairs should be finished an about a week or so. I promise there is no need to fear. While the repairs are being done several layers of protective wards will be added to Hogwarts defenses.”

            With no more information than that, the students were herded back to their common rooms. With classes canceled, most stayed up to discuss the attack. Many believed they would not be returning to finish the year.

            Harry and Neville went up to their dorm room to avoid the crowded common room. They sat on Harry’s bed and discussed the attack. Neville was just telling Harry that his Gran would insist he return as he was too close to finishing his education to stop now when Ron and Hermione came into the room.

            Harry winced and looked away. As he did he noticed Neville shifting on the bed next to him. He blinked as he realized Neville had moved so that he could easily pull out his wand and quickly get up off the bed. When Neville also moved a little closer to him, Harry realized that Neville was acting _protectively_.

            “Harry! There you are! What are you doing?!” Hermione asked in a shrill voice. She was also using that tone that Neville had talked about when he told Harry he didn’t like to go to Hermione for help with Potions; as if Harry had done something stupid beyond belief.

            Harry looked at her, confused. “Talking with Neville.” Tired of coddling the two annoyances, Harry let _his_ tone suggest Hermione was an idiot.

            She glared at him. “And you didn’t think to let your best friends know you were okay?! This was an attack by _Voldemort_. Every time these things happen you are always right there in the middle of things, getting injured. And the DADA professor was killed!”

            Harry let Hermione rant. In his opinion, the witch was not being very coherent. What did he have to do with the DADA professor being killed? And he had sat next to Ron and Hermione in the Great Hall and they were only a few feet away during the entire walk back to Gryffindor Tower. What did she think had happened to him on the short walk up to his dorm room?

            “Are you even listening to me, Harry?!” Hermione asked.

            “Of course, Hermione,” Harry said politely.

            Hermione’s face turned red as she glared at him. Before she could start yelling again, though, Ron interrupted.

            “You walked right by us in the common room, Harry! You didn’t even ask _us_ to come up here and talk with you about what happened. You came up here with _Neville_ ,” Ron said Neville’s name with an edge of disgust that made Harry want to punch him in his face. “What’s going on?”

            Harry, just barely, held on to his temper. If he didn’t have too many secrets to keep he wouldn’t have bothered, but for now any acts he took against these two would need to be done subtly. Maybe he would talk to Blaise. The Slytherin was certain to have some ideas.

            “Ron,” Harry said evenly, “Neville and I were talking about how this break was going to affect the study schedule we had set up. I didn’t stop to talk to you two about this because I really didn’t want to think about it just now. Unlike you two, I don’t have anywhere pleasant to spend the break. You know with this attack Dumbledore is going to insist I stay…in a secure location. We talked about it just before Christmas break, remember? In case Voldemort attacked somewhere previously thought secure I have to stay at…my house.” Harry hated speaking so cryptically as if he couldn’t trust Neville, but he didn’t need Ron and Hermione asking more questions.

            “And I found out over the break that the house still has a lot of memories for me. You wanted to know what I did during break, Hermione? I spent most of my time thinking about the past,” Harry said.

            Hermione bit her lip and looked at Harry as if trying to decide whether or not he was speaking the truth. Finally her expression softened, but Harry noticed something he had never noticed before: her eyes held a calculating gleam despite her sympathetic, understanding expression.

            “Oh, Harry! I’m so sorry! I didn’t even think-!” Hermione said, getting teary. Harry had the sudden cynical thought that she was faking. “Why don’t Ron and I stay with you? We could keep you company.”

            Harry noticed Ron’s look of displeasure at the suggestion. Harry guessed the redhead had been looking forward to his mother’s cooking and the chance to laze around. Harry decided to use that to his advantage. “Thanks, Hermione, but…” Harry shot Ron a pleading look. “It’s a bit easier to deal with on my own.”

            Fortunately, Ron took the bait. “Come on, ‘Mione. Just because girls like to gossip and cry on each other’s shoulders doesn’t mean that guys always want someone around when they are dealing with stuff. Let’s let Harry and Neville talk about plants or whatever and go back to the common room. I was going to play Exploding Snap with Dean and Seamus,” Ron said, dragging a reluctant Hermione from the room. Apparently, he didn’t want to take a chance that she might think of a way around his excuse for leaving Harry alone during their unexpected break.

            Harry watched them leave, still angry with them.

            “You know, Harry, that was pretty Slytherin of you,” Neville said. Harry jumped a little and turned to Neville. Neville was also watching the door. “Makes me rethink my opinion of Slytherins a little.”

            Harry guessed he shouldn’t be surprised that Neville had noticed his Slytherin side. The fact that he was quiet and often overlooked blinded many people to the fact that Neville was extremely observant and knew a lot about people. If Harry ever wanted to know the truth in any rumors he had heard, he had always gone to Neville.

            Harry smirked. “Oh? Are you sure it isn’t a certain dark haired Slytherin who has you rethinking your opinion of Slytherins?” Harry watched Neville blush and mumble. “So you do like him?”

            Neville blushed even more and said nothing.

            Harry tilted his head and looked at Neville and then looked around the room. A few discreet spells later, Harry stepped close to Neville and spoke quietly. “Neville, I haven’t told that many people this, in fact only one person who is still a student here knows, but I’m gay. I’m also friends with Blaise. So if you think, for any reason, that I would care if you liked him…”

            Neville blinked and looked at Harry. “You mean you and Blaise aren’t going out?”

            It was Harry’s turn to blink. “What?! You thought Blaise and I were a couple?”

            Neville nodded. “I just thought…I mean, the way you two had acted when the three of us first got together…you two just seemed close and…” Neville shrugged.

            Harry shook his head. “No, we’re just friends. In fact, I hope neither of you mind, but I’d say you two are my best friends. You saw how it’s been with Ron and Hermione and you know it’s been bad between the three of us for a while now. In fact, Blaise was the person I was talking about, the only student here to know about me. Well, except for you now.”

            Neville cleared his throat. “So, um, if I wanted to, ah, ask Blaise out…?”

            Harry grinned. “I’d say go for it!”

***********************************

            “Where are you going, Harry?”

            Harry gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. “I’m just going to the bathroom, Hermione. And then maybe see if I can find the witch with the snack cart.” Harry shut the door behind him without waiting for Hermione to say anything else and he quickly walked down the hall.

            Just before he got to the bathrooms, Harry stopped and looked out one of the windows and watched the scenery go by. He didn’t really need to use the bathroom and he wasn’t hungry, but he couldn’t spend one more minute in the compartment with Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

            “Harry!”

            Harry jerked around. He looked for the source of the whisper, but the hallway was empty.

            “Psst! Harry!”

            Harry frowned. “What?” he muttered.

            “Harry! Here!”

            Harry turned and saw Blaise. Harry walked over, rolling his eyes when Blaise motioned for him to move faster. “Blaise, what-? Umph!”

            Harry was shocked when Blaise reached out and grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him into one of the bathrooms. Blaise shut the door behind them and locked them in the bathroom together.

            “And you are always saying _I’m_ trying to get _you_ killed,” Harry said, amused. “What’s going on, Blaise?”

            Blaise leaned against the wall. “I talked with Neville.”

            Harry smirked. “Really.”

            Blaise scowled. “About you.”

            “Uh-huh. And nothing _else_ was said?” Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

            Blaise glared, but Harry just waited. “Okay, so he asked me out,” Blaise said, annoyed.

            Both of Harry’s brows rose. “And that’s a bad thing? I thought you liked him.”

            “I do.” Blaise shifted and glared at his feet. “I just always thought I would be the one to ask him out,” he muttered.

            Harry laughed. “What does it matter? You both like each other and you are going on a date. So, what do you two have planned?”

            Blaise looked up and tried to glare at Harry. The effect was rather ruined by his blush.

            Harry smirked. “That good, huh?”

            “Oh, shut up,” Blaise muttered. “We are having our first date on Valentine’s Day. Happy?”

            Harry gave Blaise a genuine smile. “Yes.”

            Blaise was still blushing when he rolled his eyes. “I didn’t bring you here to talk about me and Neville. I wanted to talk to you about some things Neville told me.”

            “Okay. What kind of things?”

            Blaise frowned at Harry. “I know you have been avoiding Weasley and Granger for a while now, but Neville told me things were much worse than I had thought. Is that true?”

            “Well, I suppose that depends on how bad you thought they were,” Harry said.

            “How bad is it, Harry?”

            “Mmm, well, I had been meaning to ask…Could you help me figure out some extremely unpleasant things to do to those two? You know, things that are…Slytherin subtle?” Harry asked with a hard, serious look on his face.

            Blaise was shocked at what Harry had said and how he had said it. Harry really was not on good terms with the other two Gryffindors any longer. “So, I’m guessing Neville didn’t misunderstand when he thought you were serious when you called _us_ your best friends?” Blaise asked neutrally.

            “No, he didn’t misunderstand,” Harry said seriously, looking Blaise straight in the eye. “I have come to think of you as one of my best friends, Blaise.”

            “Yeah, same here,” Blaise said quietly, not looking away.

            Harry grinned at the Slytherin.

            Blaise cleared his throat. “So, I guess that brings us to the house issue.”

            “House issue?”

            “Neville said you had to stay by yourself in a house that you hate? A house with a lot of unpleasant memories?”

            Harry shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah,” he muttered. Then he shrugged. “It won’t be so bad. At least I won’t have to deal with Ron and Hermione.”

            Blaise looked at Harry for a long moment. “Why don’t you spend part of the break at my house? It’s really well warded, especially against the Dark Lord and his followers since my family is neutral and he hates that.”

            Harry looked at his friend as if the boy was insane. “What?!”

            Blaise rolled his eyes. “My mother has to be away for most of the time I’ll be home. I thought you could come spend a few days with me. I already asked her if I could have someone over while she’s away and she said she wouldn’t mind.”

            “You asked your mother if I could spend part of the break at your house with you,” Harry said blankly.

            Blaise snorted. “Of course not! I just asked if I could have a friend over. I wasn’t any more specific than that. I’m sure she thinks I meant Theo since I’ve had him stay over several times during summer breaks.” Harry just stared at him. “Oh, come on, Harry! After all the things you are rumored to have done and all the things I’m sure you’ve gotten away with without anyone knowing about, I’m sure you could managed this.”

            Harry slowly shook his head. Suddenly, he grinned. “Okay. I’d loved to see your house.”

            They spent a few minutes making plans. They decided it would be best if Harry Flooed to Blaise’s house two days into the week-long break. He could stay four days and then get back to his house with time to pack for the return trip to Hogwarts.

            When they were ready to leave, they agreed Blaise would leave first. He had been missing longer than Harry had.

            “Right, well, see you in a couple days then, Harry,” Blaise said.

            Harry nodded and watched the other boy slip out of the train bathroom. He held his breath as he heard another voice greet Blaise.

            “Blaise! What are you doing?”

            “Pansy, what does it look like I’m doing?”

            “Blaise, you’ve been gone for a long time. And I know you weren’t in there alone. I heard talking. So, who were you with?”

            Harry heard the shuffling of feet, like Pansy had tried to dodge around Blaise to get into the bathroom.

            “Pansy, does it matter?”

            “Yes. I know you weren’t with a Slytherin. You are the only one missing.”

            Harry heard Blaise sigh. “Pansy-”

            Harry quickly used the spell he had used to get to Gringotts. (He had decided to call it his invisibility spell since he had no idea how the original name was pronounced. He thought it might have been Welsh or Gaelic or something.)

            It turned out to be a smart move on his part as Pansy Parkinson came crashing into the bathroom. She landed face first on the bathroom floor. Harry saw that, in trying to stop her, Blaise had actually tripped her. Harry jumped over Pansy and squeezed by Blaise. He opened the door to the bathroom next to the one Pansy was in and, when the door blocked him from view, dropped his spell. He shut the door and it appeared as if he had just stepped out of the other bathroom.

            He stopped and stared at Blaise and Pansy as if he had no idea what was going on. “Zabini, does Malfoy know about you and Parkinson?” Harry asked in the usual hostile tone used between Gryffindors and Slytherins.

            Blaise recovered from his shock quickly and played along. “Jealous, Potter?”

            Harry rolled his eyes. “Of what? A quickie in the train bathroom? With Parkinson?” Harry saw the witch reach for her wand. “Or you?” Harry said with a grin he hoped Pansy thought looked malicious.

            Harry watched as Pansy smirked and moved her hand away from her wand. “You better watch out, Blaise. I think Potter’s been checking you out.”

            Harry couldn’t help but laugh at the panicked look that flashed across Blaise’s face. When he saw Pansy giving him a strange look, he said, “Now, Pansy, love. That’s just cold.” With that, he leaned over and dropped a chaste kiss onto the stunned witch’s lips. He pulled back, gave her a wink and sauntered off down the hallway.

            Harry resisted the urge to laugh. The witch would definitely not be giving Blaise a hard time…for a little while at least. As he walked down the hall, he heard the two Slytherins talking quietly behind him.

            “Blaise, what the hell just happened?” Pansy asked, dazed.

            Harry couldn’t see them, but he heard Blaise’s smirk in his reply. “Well, apparently you are going out with Potter. Not only did I see you two kissing, but he called you ‘love,’” Blaise drawled. “You do realize what will happen if certain people were to hear about this, don’t you?”

            “Oh, god! Blaise, you-you wouldn’t!” Pansy said, panicked.

            “I don’t know, Pans. If you were going to tell someone your suspicions about me…well, to give them a full picture I think I would have to tell them what I saw between you and Potter.”

            There was a pause and then Pansy said grimly, “Neither of us were ever anywhere near the train bathrooms.”

            “Hmm, now that you mention it…I think you are right,” Blaise said.

            Harry was smiling as he walked back into the compartment he was sharing with his former friends and ex-girlfriend.


	19. Visiting Zabini Estate

            Harry stuffed the last of the clothes he was taking into the overnight bag. He started to add his notebook, but then he realized it might be rude to work on his spells while visiting Blaise and he put it back into his bedside drawer. He looked around his room and tried to think of anything else he might need during his stay with Blaise. Shaking his head, Harry closed the bag and slung it over his shoulder.

            He pulled out his latest letter to the twins. After talking with them during Christmas break, Harry had resumed his usual writing habits. He felt a little guilty for having neglected writing to Fred and George for so long. As they had said, the three of them had become quite close over the years and he couldn’t believe he had gone so long without writing to them.

            Harry shook his head. Maybe he should firecall them before he left rather than send a letter. Harry checked the time. Actually, maybe he could stop by for a short visit and go to Blaise’s house from Fred and George’s apartment.

***********************************

            Harry stumbled out of the fireplace in Fred and George’s apartment, tripped over his own feet and fell against someone. He felt hands grab his arms and steady him.

            “I’m happy to see you too, Harry,” George said teasingly and then pulled Harry into a hug.

            Harry laughed. “Hey, George.”

            “Oi! How do you know Harry’s not happy to see _me_ and he just stumbled into you by mistake?” Fred asked.

            Harry laughed again and reached over and gave Fred a hug. “There, now you don’t have to be jealous,” Harry teased.

            The twins grinned.

            “Glad to see you are feeling better, Harry,” Fred said seriously.

            Harry looked over at him, confused.

            “It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen you laugh like that,” George added.

            Harry laughed again. “Well, I have to admit I am feeling a lot better than I did the last time I saw you.”

            The three of them sat down on the living room sofa.

            “So, Harry, what brings you here?” Fred asked.

            “I was hoping you guys would be willing to help me,” Harry said.

            “Of course, Harry,” the twins said together.

            “What do you need?” Fred asked.

            Harry grinned. “An alibi.”

            The twins exchanged a look and then turned identical grins to Harry.

            “And just what have you done now, Harry?” George asked.

            “Nothing.” Harry grinned. “Yet.”

            The twins’ grins widened. “Now that sounds promising.”

            Harry laughed. He saw the twins exchanged a look and he got serious. “I suppose I should explain a few things first. Um, you know how I’ve been…spending less time with Ron and Hermione?”

            “Did you make up then?” George asked.

            Harry tensed. “Not exactly.”

            Fred and George shared a look and then turned back to Harry expectantly.

            Harry took a breath. “Okay, more like just the opposite. But,” he rushed on, “you don’t know how much they’ve changed and-”

            “Harry,” the twins said together.

            “It’s okay,” George said.

            “You relationship with Ron and Hermione,” Fred said.

            “Or the rest of the family,” George said.

            “Or anyone else at all really,” Fred said.

            “Doesn’t change things between _us_ at all,” they finished together.

            Harry gave them a relieved smile.

            “Now, this does concern us,” Fred said. “But only because you three used to be such good friends.”

            “And for you to say you aren’t friends at all with them any more,” George said, “makes us worry about what must have happened to make you feel that way.”

            Harry leaned back and laid his head on the back of the sofa and he sighed. “I just don’t feel like I know them at all anymore. And what I do know…I don’t like,” Harry said quietly. “At first it was just really annoying. They would follow me around, demand to know every little detail of my life and, like I told you at Christmas, they would practically stalk me. But after Christmas, it got even worse. Hermione treats me like a child she’s resentfully taking care of, kind of like my aunt really, and Ron…” Harry lifted his head up and stared at the twins in shock at the revelation. “Ron treats me like he does Draco, like I’m the enemy.”

            George and Fred shared a look and then they both frowned.

            Harry nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly what it seems like. They’ve both gotten to be so _spiteful_. You should have heard the way Ron was talking about Neville, too.” Harry’s face darkened with anger.

            “Neville?” Fred and George asked together.

            Harry nodded. “I told you at Christmas that I had gotten to be friends with Blaise, right? Well, I’ve also gotten closer to Neville. Now, when I say or think ‘the three of us,’” Harry smiled, “I usually mean Blaise, Neville and me.”

            “Is that the reason you are in a much better mood, Harry?” Fred asked.

            “You’ve gotten some new friends?” George asked.

            Harry smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Actually,” Harry sat up, “that brings me back to why I’m here.”

            “Right, your alibi,” Fred said, grinning.

            Harry laughed and then noticed the time. “Damn. If I don’t hurry, I’m going to be late.”

            “Well, before you go, Harry, you are going to need to give us a little more information on what kind of alibi you need,” George said.

            “And why,” Fred said.

            Harry stood and leaned down and grabbed his overnight bag. “You know about the attack on Hogwarts and this unexpected break, right? And you know how I have to stay at Number 12? Well, I certainly didn’t want Ron and Hermione to stay with me, so I’m staying there by myself. Only one of my new best friends has invited me to stay at his house for part of the break…”

            The twins shared a look and then grinned at Harry.

            “Why do I have the feeling he doesn’t mean Neville?” Fred asked George.

            “I think you are right,” George replied.

            Harry laughed. “So will you give me an alibi if anyone notices I’m gone?”

            The twins turned serious for a moment. “Will you be careful?” They asked together.

            Harry nodded. “Yes. Blaise’s mother will be gone, so it will be just the two of us.”

            The twins leered playfully at Harry.

            “Well, alright then. We’ll make sure no one…interrupts,” George said.

            “And if anyone notices you were gone, we’ll say we kidnapped you and you spent the break testing out some of our newest inventions,” Fred said.

            “Thanks,” Harry said with a smile. He lost his smile when he checked the time again. “Right, I’ve got to go now. I’ll talk to you two later!”

            “Have fun!” The twins said, again leering at Harry.

            Harry rolled his eyes and Flooed to Blaise’s house.

**********************************

            Harry stumbled out of the fireplace at Zabini Estate and waved his arms wildly in an attempt to keep his balance. He grinned widely when he managed to stay on his feet this time.

            “Wow. You weren’t kidding,” Blaise said, sounding stunned.

            Harry turned to him. “Actually, that was a good landing. I managed to stay on my feet this time.”

            Blaise just shook his head. “Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”

            Harry, remembering the twins teasing, walked over to Blaise and put his arm around the other boy’s shoulder. “Or,” Harry whispered into Blaise’s ear, “you could just show me to your room.”

            Blaise rolled his eyes and knocked Harry’s arm off his shoulder. “Sorry, Harry. You’ll be sleeping alone.”

            Harry laughed. “Okay, okay. I like Neville too much to sleep with his boyfriend anyway.” He grinned at Blaise.

            Blaise rolled his eyes again. “Yeah, and I like living too much to sleep with you, boyfriend or no boyfriend,” Blaise muttered.

            Harry’s brows rose. “And just what does that mean?”

            Blaise just grinned and said, “Your room’s on the second floor, across the hall from mine. Don’t get any ideas.”

*********************************

            The next two days Harry and Blaise enjoyed having the mansion to themselves. They flew their brooms over the gardens. They did a lot of talking. Blaise let Harry look through his private collection of books and they read.

            Two days into Harry’s stay, Blaise showed him to the kitchen.

            “Honestly, Harry,” Blaise said, laughing, “how do you stay so skinny?”

            “Hey! It was your idea to get a snack! I just agreed.” Harry stopped a few steps into the kitchen. “Wow. This is almost as big as the kitchen at Hogwarts.”

            “You’ve been to the Hogwarts kitchens?” Blaise asked.

            Harry grinned. “Maybe I’ll show you and Neville before we graduate.” He turned to the fridge. “So, what kind of snack did you have in mind?”

            “Mitzy! Hazel! Bitsy!” Blaise said, making Harry jump. He grinned. When three house elves appeared, Blaise turned to them. “Harry and I would like a snack. Would you set some things out for us?”

            The elves grinned and set to work. Soon, the counters were lined with bowls of treats and plates of foods. There were plates of fruits, bowls of candies, platters of cookies, and on and on.

            “Wow,” Harry said. “Maybe I should be asking you how _you_ stay so skinny.”

            “Hey, Harry, how about-” Blaise started as he turned around holding a bowl of chocolate sauce. He stopped as he turned and found Harry standing much closer than he had thought. They both watched as chocolate sauce splashed onto Harry’s clothes and dripped down to the floor.

            Blaise started to apologize, but he couldn’t get it out over his laughter.

            Harry gave Blaise an evil grin. “You know what this means, don’t you, Blaise?”

            Blaise stopped laughing. “Come on, Harry, it was an accident.” Blaise began backing away as Harry reached out and grabbed a bowl off the counter and began to move towards him. Harry wore a wicked grin as he slowly stalked towards the Slytherin.

            Blaise quickly reached out to grab another bowl. Soon food was flying all over the kitchen as Blaise and Harry laughed and shouted at each other. The house elves watched from atop the fridge and freezer. They giggled as the two wizards became covered in food.

            They whispered together as they saw the look on their young master’s face. They were well aware of their young master’s preferences and it seemed like this new friend of his made him very happy.

            Just as Harry went to dump a bowl over Blaise’s head, the house elves performed a spell. Harry and Blaise both suddenly slipped in the food on the floor and fell. Blaise landed on top of Harry. They laughed and wiggled around and managed to stand, but both were surprised when they found that they were suddenly stuck together.

            “Uh, Blaise?” Harry asked, trying to jerk away. He nearly unbalanced them and they stayed upright only because Blaise managed to grab onto the counter.

            “Oh no,” Blaise moaned.

            “What?” Harry demanded.

            “I remember something like this happened when I was little. I got my hands stuck together. I don’t remember what I mixed together, but I remember there was only one way to get unstuck.”

            Harry didn’t like the ominous tone Blaise used. “How?”

            “I had to run hot water over my hands for nearly an hour,” Blaise said grimly.

            Harry stared at Blaise for a moment and then started laughing. “Hot water? You’re afraid of a little hot water?”

            Blaise rolled his eyes. “Hot water that has to run directly over the parts that are stuck together, Harry,” Blaise said pointedly.

            Harry laughed again. “Blaise, we’re both Quidditch players. We’ve both been in communal showers. Now, I realize we are both gay, but joking aside I don’t think either of us need to worry. You aren’t the only one interested in someone else.”

            Blaise looked intrigued. “Really.”

            Harry laughed. “Come on, let’s go get cleaned up.”

            They shuffled out of the room together. As they did, Harry looked over his shoulder and saw the giggling house elves. He smiled and gestured around the kitchen and lifted an eyebrow. Before the kitchen door closed behind him, Harry saw the elves jump off the fridge and freezer and start cleaning.

*************************************

            Severus waited in the study at Malfoy Manor. He and Lucius were going to meet with another who was working against Voldemort, but who didn’t want to be connected to Dumbledore any more than Lucius did. 

            Severus turned as the door to the study opened. He frowned when he saw Draco standing with his father.

            “As we are going to visit with one of Draco’s classmate’s family, I thought Draco could…visit with his classmate while we talk,” Lucius said.

            Severus raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

            The three headed for the entrance hall with Draco leading the way.

            “Draco has been even worse since he’s been home than he was over Christmas break,” Lucius whispered to Severus. “I thought perhaps visiting a friend would help.”

            “Or give him another target for his bad mood?” Severus asked, amused.

            Lucius just gave Severus a haughty look.

            Reaching the entrance hall, the three men Apparated away.

            They arrived in a grand hall not too different from the one at Malfoy Manor. Without pause, the three men walked into the next room. In the sitting room, Severus and Lucius traded a frown. They had been expecting someone to meet them.

            Lucius saw Severus’ brows rise and he turned to see what had caught his friend’s attention. His jaw nearly dropped in shock. Through the doorway, Lucius and Severus could see the stairs…and the trail of clothes leading up the stairs.

            Severus marched out of the room and gathered the clothes as he followed the trail. Lucius followed. After a moment of thought, he disarmed and silenced his son. Just to be safe. Given the mood Draco had been in lately, there was no telling how he would react to whatever they would find upstairs.

            Draco glared at his father, but continued to follow the other two upstairs.

            Reaching the top of the stairs, they heard laughing. Lucius and Severus shared a look and then followed the sound to a door. Just as they reach the door, they heard more than laughter.

            “Damn it, Harry! It’s not funny!” Blaise said.

            Lucius looked at Severus and saw he was not the only one shocked by this discovery. Even more shocking, however, was the reply to Blaise’s statement.

            “Oh, come on, Blaise,” Harry said seductively, “I told you I’d make it up to you.”

            Lucius watched a blank look come to Severus’ face as the man reached out and shoved the door open.

            There, standing in the bathroom with wet hair and wearing only towels draped around their waists, was Blaise Zabini and Harry Potter. Harry had his arm around Blaise’s shoulders and was leaning close to the Slytherin.

            Harry and Blaise stared in shock at the now open door. Harry wasn’t wearing his glasses, but he could just make out the shocked faces of Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy staring at them. Blaise, not so handicapped, paled at the sight of Draco’s furious face and groaned.

            “Oh god, Harry! You are going to get me killed,” Blaise hissed at Harry.

            “Well, it could be worse, Blaise,” Harry said. “It could have been your mother.”

            Just then a woman’s voice called up the stairs, “Severus? Lucius?”

            “Oh god!” Blaise moaned. Then he gasped. “Harry! The kitchen!”

            Harry looked at Blaise and his brows lifted.

            “Harry, having my mother find us like this is bad enough, but if she sees what we did in the kitchen…” Blaise groaned again. “I’ll never live it down!”

            Severus and Lucius looked at one another and had the same thought: They were both very glad they had not arrived any earlier.

            “Don’t worry, Blaise. Despite our…state, I took care of the kitchen,” Harry said.

            Blaise breathed a sigh of relief…until he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. He looked around the bathroom in panic. “Harry, you have to hide. She can’t find you here. At least not like this.” Blaise started to shove Harry back into the shower behind the shower curtain.

            “Blaise! Blaise, relax!” Harry said. “We had a much closer call on the train, remember?”

            Severus and Lucius again looked at each other at that statement.

            Blaise stopped pushing Harry and frowned at him. “And you still haven’t told me how you did that.”

            Harry stepped out of the shower again. “Is is more important that I tell you that now or that I just do it again?”

            “Right,” Blaise said and waved a hand. “Have at it.”

            Harry smiled at Severus and Lucius as he walked over to the door. They both took a cautious step back as he approached. Harry grinned at Severus and then smiled up at Lucius. He still did not notice the third person standing in the hallway. “Excuse us.”

            Harry closed the door in their faces and then turned back to Blaise. “Right, I can get out of here without being seen. But what then?”

            Blaise shifted nervously. “I hate to ask, but could you Floo out if I distract my mother?”

            Harry nodded. “No problem, but what about them?” He nodded at the door.

            “I’ll think of something,” Blaise said.

            Harry grinned. “You could always act like you have no idea what they are talking about if they say anything. I mean, how strange would it sound if they told her you had Harry Potter over? Or worse, that you were sharing a shower with him?”

            Blaise jerked as he heard his mother out in the hall talking with Professor Snape and Draco’s father. “Harry…” Blaise said, a bit panicked.

            Harry nodded. “Once I’m out of sight, just open the door and act like you had no idea anyone else was in the house.”

            Blaise frowned but nodded.

            Harry stepped into the shower and closed the curtain. As Blaise took a deep breath and walked over and opened the door, Harry used his invisibility spell.

            Blaise hoped Harry knew what he was doing. Then again, according to the rumors, Harry should be pretty good at this kind of thing. Blaise opened the door and pretended to be shocked to see the crowd in the hallway.

            “Mother? Professor Snape? Mr. Malfoy?” Blaise asked, seemingly confused. “What’s going on?”

            Blaise tried not to flinch when he saw the murderous glare Draco sent him. He breathed a silent sigh of relief when he noticed that Mr. Malfoy had Draco’s wand.

            Blaise’s mother, being the incredibly intelligent witch that she was, noticed Draco’s glare and saw Blaise’s relief at seeing Lucius had his son’s wand. “Severus, Lucius, I’m afraid we will have to reschedule our meeting. Perhaps tomorrow?”

            The men, still rather stunned by the sight they had seen and certainly in no state of mind to worry about spying and Dark Lords, nodded. Lucius grabbed Draco’s shoulder and went downstairs with Severus following.

            As the three men disappeared from sight, Victoria Zabini turned to her son with a raised eyebrow. Blaise sighed and asked, “Can I get dressed first?”

            Downstairs, on the way to the entrance hall to Apparate back to Malfoy Manor, Severus paused. He thought he had seen green flames out of the corner of his eye. When he looked he saw the usual orange-red glow. Severus shook his head and continued on his way. He frowned as he wondered what he was going to do with the clothes he had shrunk and put in his pocket when he had heard Victoria coming up the stairs.

*********************************

            Harry stumbled from the fireplace at Number 12. He sighed as he again managed to stay upright.

            “Harry?!”

            Harry jerked his head up and looked into the face of a very shocked Remus.

            Remus just stared at Harry…who had stumbled out of the fireplace carrying his wand and wearing his glasses and a towel… _and nothing else._

            “Remus, um,” Harry cleared his throat. “I can explain…”

*********************************

            Back at Malfoy Manor, Draco snatched his wand from his father, removed the silencing spell and stormed past his mother and went upstairs to his room.

            Narcissa turned and frowned at the two men. “What happened?”

            Lucius sighed. “In addition to the mood he has been in since he returned from Hogwarts, Draco just saw one of his friends…in a compromising situation with another boy.”

            Narcissa just gave her husband a look that made it clear she knew there was more to the story.

            Lucius sighed again. “Severus, Draco and I caught Blaise Zabini in the shower with Harry Potter. It seems Draco is upset that one of his friends is ‘with’ Harry Potter.”

            “I suppose you can’t blame him, Lucius. He and H-Potter have been rivals since nearly their first day at Hogwarts,” Severus said.

            Lucius nodded. “True.” Lucius frowned. “But I still think he was overreacting a bit. Probably because of that bad mood he has been in.”

            Narcissa took a deep breath and said, “Lucius. Dear.”

            Both men froze at the cold, warning tone and turned to the petite witch. They knew better than to underestimate her.

            “Had you ever listened to me, you would have figured out years ago that the reason Draco doesn’t want to marry Pansy Parkinson is because _he’s gay!_ ” Narcissa snarled.

            Lucius stood there, stunned, as his wife went upstairs to check on their son. “Well,” Lucius said, turning to Severus.

            Severus grimaced. “Well, indeed, Lucius. If Narcissa is right…”

            “Then our sons are interested in the same boy,” Lucius said and sighed.


	20. Draco

            “Harry, what is going on?” Remus asked, bewildered. He watched as Harry blushed. Given how little Harry was wearing, Remus watched the blush spread to cover his entire body.

            “Remus, I was just, um,” Harry stuttered. “Ah, what are, uh, what are you doing here?”

            “I came to see you. I wanted to tell you something. I was worried, Harry. I got here and I couldn’t find you anywhere! I was just getting ready to firecall Dumbledore when you came through the fireplace.” Remus frowned. “At least tell me you are okay, Harry.”

            Harry blushed a deeper shade of red. “Um, I’m fine, Remus. I’m sorry you were worried.”

            As his worry and shock faded, Remus started to connect the dots. Harry, sneaking off, returning unexpectedly wearing only a towel, his hair still wet. He knew Harry had broken up with Ginny. He had been at the Burrow during the summer when Harry had finally broken up with the redheaded witch and things had definitely still been strained over Christmas break.

            “So, what’s her name, Harry?” Remus asked. He didn’t quite manage to keep the hurt out of his voice. He knew he hadn’t been able to be close, physically, to Harry with the war going on, but he had thought he and Harry had been close emotionally. They had shared a great deal through their letters in the time since Remus had taught at Hogwarts.

            Harry bit his lip. He had heard the hurt in Remus’ voice. “Remus, it, uh, it’s not what you think.” He cleared his throat. “And, um, if it had been it would be, um, _him_ not, uh, not _her_.”

            Remus blinked several times and then moved back a few steps to sit on the sofa. He looked up at Harry. “Why didn’t you tell me, Harry? I thought you knew you could tell me anything.”

            Harry came and sat beside Remus. “Remus…” Harry sighed. “I haven’t really told that many people. The people I did tell I sort of told spur of the moment.” Harry winced as he realized how many people he had told. “I’m sorry I hadn’t told you, Remus, but…I just have had so many other things going on and…I guess I thought I already had enough reasons to worry…” Harry shrugged.

            Remus frowned. “You were worried about what I would think? Harry…” Remus gave Harry a sheepish look. “Harry, _I’m_ gay.”

            Harry blinked. “Really?”

            Remus nodded.

            “Oh,” Harry said. “I’m sorry I didn’t say something sooner, Remus.”  
            Remus shook his head and then he sat up straighter. “Well, then. To ask a more appropriate question, who is _he_ , Harry?” Remus gave Harry a small smile.

            Harry groaned and blushed again. “It’s not like that, Remus.”

            Remus gave Harry an amused look. “Harry.”

            “Really!” Harry said. “I know how this looks, but it’s not like that.” Suddenly Harry got serious. Just like he had with the twins, Harry had shut Remus out of his life without really meaning to. “Remus, you’ve always been…understanding. What would you say if I told you I’ve…become friends with a Slytherin?”

            “So you and Draco Malfoy finally got together, then?” Remus asked surprised.

            Harry blushed. “No! Why would you think-?”

            Remus laughed. “Harry, I think it would have been obvious to a lot more people if your rivalry didn’t fit in with the way they wanted to see things. A lot of people like the fact that you two, nearly the epitome of your Houses, have such an intense rivalry.”

            Harry grimaced. “Well, no, I’m not seeing _anyone_ right now. But, seriously, Remus, if I were to say I became close friends with a Slytherin _you_ wouldn’t care would you?”

            “Of course not, Harry,” Remus said, puzzled. “Harry, what’s this all about?”

            Harry took a deep breath and told Remus about the trouble he had been having since the beginning of the school year. He told the werewolf about the changes he had noticed in Ron and Hermione and how he didn’t like to be around them anymore. He told Remus about the silent meetings with Blaise and the conversation where they admitted to each other that they were gay. He told Remus about Blaise’s interest in Neville and adding Neville to their study sessions and how Harry now had two new best friends.

            Harry gave Remus an edited version of events at Zabini Estate. He only said that Blaise’s mother had come home unexpectedly and so Harry had left quickly.

            “And, honestly,” Harry said to a very dazed looking Remus, “that’s not even the biggest thing that has happened this year.” Harry shifted uncomfortably. “Please don’t be mad, but…I’m not really ready to talk about the other thing yet. I just…it’s still strange.” Harry shrugged.

            Harry thought, given the way Remus had acted towards Snape when he had been the DADA teacher that Remus might not have a problem with him being Snape’s son, but…Remus had been one of James Potter’s best friends. Harry wasn’t sure how it would change things between them for Remus to know. That wasn’t even taking into consideration the binding spell Dumbledore had put on him and the affection Remus had for the old wizard.

            Remus leaned back on the sofa and tried to absorb everything that Harry had said. “Well, I can see why you wouldn’t want to put all of that into a letter.” He shook his head.

            “So, um,” Harry said after a long silence. “You said you had come here to tell me something?”

            Remus jerked. “Oh. Oh, yes.” He smiled. “Dumbledore has asked me to come finish out the year as the DADA professor. It seems he couldn’t find anyone else on such short notice.”

            Harry grinned. “That’s great! It’ll be wonderful to have you around again.” Harry leaned over and hugged Remus tightly. He pulled back, blushing, when he realized he was still wearing nothing more than a towel.

            “Uh. I should probably go change. How much time do you have before you have to leave?” Harry asked.

            “Actually, I was hoping you wouldn’t mind if I stayed here with you until the end of the break. I was going to ride the train back to Hogwarts at the end of the break.”

            “That’s great!” Harry said. “Let me get dressed and then I’ll fix us something to eat and we can finish catching up. Maybe you can even get a chance to talk this time!” Harry laughed as he headed out of the room.

            Remus watched him go, thinking Harry did look much better than he had at Christmas.

***********************************

            Thanks to Remus, the train ride back to Hogwarts was much better than the previous train rides so far this school year. As Harry sat down, he was reminded that Remus, despite his rather respectable demeanor as a professor, _had_ been a Marauder.

            Somehow, without drawing any suspicion, Remus had managed to get a compartment with Harry, Neville and Blaise.

            Remus smiled at the wary looks the young Slytherin kept sending him. “Relax, Mr. Zabini. Or may I call you ‘Blaise’ when we are alone? I’ve always called Harry’s friends by their first names,” Remus said.

            Blaise gave Harry a surprised look.

            Harry shrugged. “Remus and I have been close since he first came to teach at Hogwarts. We’ve only gotten closer in the years since he left.” Harry shrugged again and grinned. “And when I stumbled out of the fireplace wearing only a towel and my glasses…well, he wanted to know what was going on.”

            Blaise blushed, shot Neville a look and then cleared his throat. “Um, sure, you can call me ‘Blaise’ when we’re alone, Professor.” Blaise raised his brows. “Could I call you ‘Remus’ when we are alone?”

            Remus grinned. “Of course.”

            “Why were you stumbling out of the fireplace wearing only a towel, Harry?” Neville asked, looking between Blaise and Harry.

            Blaise glared at Harry and then turned to whisper into Neville’s ear. Harry and Remus watched Neville’s eyes get wide. They also watched Blaise talk faster until Neville reached out and placed a hand on his thigh.

            “I might not be a Quidditch player, but I do live in a dorm and share a bathroom with other boys. Besides, I trust you and Harry,” Neville said. When he saw everyone looking at his hand on Blaise’s thigh, Neville jerked his hand away and turned to look out the window, blushing brightly.

            The ride back to Hogwarts was spent in pleasant conversation. Gradually, Blaise became more comfortable around Remus and Remus got to know Blaise a little better. Remus saw how the three younger men interacted and he had to admit they seemed to get along much better than Harry, Ron and Hermione had even at the peak of their friendship.

            After the train arrived, Harry was again surprised as Remus managed to get the four of them into one of the carriages without anyone noticing.

            They finally had to part ways when they reached Hogwarts, though. Blaise drifted off to join the Slytherins and Remus had to leave to join the other professors. Harry and Neville managed to put a group of first and second year Gryffindors between them and Ron and Hermione.

            As Harry watched the two Weasleys, Hermione and Dean and Seamus, he realized that he really needed to start putting some more thought into how to deal with Voldemort and life after the war. He also needed to start thinking of how to deal with Dumbledore and his idea for the ritual. NEWTs were coming up in a few more months.

            When Ron started to turn his way, Harry turned back to Neville. The two Gryffindors exchanged a look. Harry was shocked, despite how close they had grown, to see that Neville considered the group to be _their_ enemies. For there could be no denying, after the way Ron and Hermione had acted before they left for break, that they were now enemies. Harry wondered how long it would take Ron and Hermione to figure it out.

************************************

            The day after the students had returned from their unexpected break, Harry was sitting in the library, deciding to skip lunch rather than have to deal with Ron and Hermione again. The night before had been pure hell as far as Harry was concerned. Ron and Hermione had been furious that Harry had not sat with them on the train or during the carriage ride.

            It had pretty much been the same as the confrontation before the break when Harry had gone up to his doom room and talked with Neville rather than staying in the common room with Ron and Hermione.

            Harry sighed and ran a hand over his face. Pushing the thoughts aside, Harry turned back to his book. It was one Blaise had lent him. On the train, Blaise had returned his things that he had left when he had had to leave so abruptly. He had also brought Harry the book he had been reading at Blaise’s house as well as a few Harry had expressed an interest in borrowing that Blaise had already finished.

            Harry had just gotten to a particularly steamy scene in his book when someone sat down across from him. He looked up and nearly dropped his book in shock.

            Neville sat across from him looking pale and shaken.

            “Neville?” Harry asked in concern. He put a bookmark in his book and pushed it to the side. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

            “Blaise is in the infirmary. From what I heard, it sounds pretty bad,” Neville said.

            Harry gaped. “What? What happened?”

            Neville shook his head. “I’m not sure.” Neville looked at Harry and Harry was surprised to see the glitter of tears in his eyes. “Harry, what if it’s my fault? You know how Slytherins feel about Gryffindors. What if-?”

            “Neville,” Harry said firmly. “First of all, Slytherins are no worse than Gryffindors when it comes to something like this. You know that. Second,” Harry winced, “if it’s anyone’s fault it’s probably mine. I’ve been spending a lot of time with Blaise for a lot longer than you.”

            “I just wish I knew what had happened. Or just that he’s okay,” Neville whispered. “It’s not like I can just go visit him.”

            Harry reached over and squeezed one of Neville’s hands. “Look. I think I might be able to ask someone. If nothing else, I’ll see if I can sneak down to see him tonight. If he has to stay any longer, I’ll see if I can sneak you in to see him too. Okay?”

            Neville frowned. “Why can’t I go with you tonight?”

            “Madam Pomfrey always checks up on a person much more often the first night they are in the infirmary. After that, a person usually settles down and just needs to rest so she doesn’t check up on them as often.”

            Neville attempted to smile. “I guess you would know from experience.”

            Harry gave Neville his own weak attempt at a smile. “Yeah. I promise, I’ll find out everything that I can.”

********************************

            Harry had not had an opportunity to talk to Snape about Blaise as he had planned. The man had been called away to a Death Eater meeting. Harry had been surprised when he realized how much he worried about the snarky Potions Master.

            That night he waited for the other boys in his dorm to go to sleep and then he used his invisibility spell to sneak out.

            Harry had been to the infirmary so many times he could probably find the place in his sleep from almost anywhere in the castle. He was also extremely familiar with the nightly security of the infirmary.

            Harry easily made his way into the infirmary. He kept quiet and checked the beds, looking for Blaise. He gave a soft laugh when he found the Slytherin in what Madam Pomfrey had come to call _his_ bed. It was a nice bit of luck. Harry’s bed was set up to provide privacy.

            Harry quickly made his way across the room and slipped around the partially closed curtains. He looked towards Madam Pomfrey’s office and saw that her light was out. That meant he had a minimum of half an hour since the medi-witch always made herself a cup of tea before she made one of her nightly checkups.

            Harry quietly closed the curtains around the bed the rest of the way and used a silencing charm. He also used one of the spells he had learned when studying with Snape; it would allow Harry to use a light without anyone on the other side of the curtain noticing.

            Harry dropped his invisibility spell and walked over to the bed and lit the candle on the bedside table.

            “What the hell?!” Blaise said.

            Harry laughed. He stopped as soon as he got a good look at Blaise. The dark haired Slytherin was covered in bruises and gauze and here and there Harry saw the gauze was stained with blood. “Damn, Blaise,” Harry whispered. “What happened to you?”

            Blaise rolled his eyes. “Trust _you_ to know how to sneak into the infirmary.”

            Harry frowned. “Blaise, what happened?”

            Blaise sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. “Has Neville heard?”

            “Yes. If you are still here tomorrow then I told him I’d bring him with me to see you.” Harry looked at Blaise. “And it looks like you’ll be here for a while. Blaise-”

            “You know, Harry. You told me you liked someone, but you never told me who,” Blaise said.

            Harry blushed a bit and turned to stare at the candle. “Um, really?”

            Blaise groaned. “God, please tell me it’s Draco.”

            Harry turned to stare at Blaise. “What? How did you know?”

            Blaise sighed. “It is. Thank god,” Blaise muttered.

            “Blaise, _what_ are you talking about?” Harry asked.

            “What am I talking about?” Blaise looked at Harry as if he was insane. Blaise sat up against the headboard and made himself comfortable. “I’ll tell you what I’m talking about!”

            Harry looked at the injured Slytherin and waited.

            “I’m talking about you and Draco! Harry, have you ever wondered why, other than Draco, none of us Slytherins ever gave you a really hard time? I mean we all treated you a little worse than the other Gryffindors, but none of us ever went as far as Draco. That’s because Draco would have had our heads if we had tried to get in the middle of what’s between you two!”

            Harry looked at Blaise skeptically. He wondered if the Slytherin had been hit on the head.

            Blaise glared. “Harry, you and Draco have always been obsessed with each other. And no matter how slow your fellow Gryffindors are, we Slytherins have known for years now that there was more to it than just the rivalry you both pretend it is. I mean, even Greg and Vince know! It only took watching what Draco did to Millicent for calling you _cute_ that even they figured it out.”

            “Blaise,” Harry said doubtfully. He really couldn’t picture Draco being that obvious about something like this.

            “Tell me, Harry. Did you not notice how often the Weasleyette was hexed and tripped and generally given a hard time by the Slytherins while you two were dating? Or did you just figure it was our way of trying to get to you?”

            “Are you saying it wasn’t?” Harry asked in surprise. “I mean, if what you are saying is true, why would _all_ of the Slytherins-?”

            Blaise snorted. “We were just making her pay for the fact that _we_ had to put up with Draco’s bad temper the entire time you two were dating. You were off limits for the most part, so we took it out on her.”

            “The trouble started the same day other people found out Ginny and I were seeing each other so how-?”

            “Yeah. We remembered what it was like when you were dating Cho Chang and started early.” Blaise shuddered. “You have no idea the things that went on in the Slytherin common room when Draco found out about you kissing Chang.”

            Harry stared at Blaise, dazed. He shook his head slowly. “Blaise, that doesn’t even make since. If Draco was obvious enough that even Goyle and Crabbe knew, then Pansy surely would have figured out. And she-”

            “Harry, not everyone takes as long as you to figure out they like boys. Draco has never wanted Pansy. Or anyone else for that matter. Draco has never even dated anyone.” Blaise glared when Harry made a skeptical sound and rolled his eyes. “It’s true, Harry! Hell, Draco’s been obsessed with you since before he even knew you were ‘Harry _Bloody_ Potter!’”

            Harry frowned. “That’s not possible.”

            Blaise made a sound of frustration. “Harry, on the day my mother and I went shopping for my school supplies for my first year at Hogwarts, we ran into Draco and his mother. Our mothers decided to get lunch together and the entire time they were talking about whatever it was they talked about, I had to listen to Draco talk about the boy he saw at Madam Malkin’s.” Blaise rolled his eyes. “He was hoping that boy would be in Slytherin with us. The boy had the prettiest green eyes. Slytherin green, Draco swore.

            “Honestly, I think Draco knew he was gay way before I knew I was and I figured it out pretty early.”

            Harry stared at Blaise, stunned. He remembered every detail of that first encounter with Draco Malfoy as if it had happened yesterday. He had a hard time imagining Draco talking about him to anyone. He had always figured Draco hadn’t even remembered meeting him.

            It wasn’t until after he had figured out he was gay that Harry had even considered his and Draco’s rivalry could be anything other than what it appeared to be. After their encounters at the beginning of the school year, Harry had started to hope that maybe he wasn’t the only one seeing other possibilities. But…

            “Blaise, Draco has been completely ignoring me for months.” Harry shook his head. “And why would you be so relieved that I like him, now that he has lost interest?”

            Blaise once again gave Harry a look that suggested he was doubting Harry’s sanity. “Now that _he’s lost interest?!_ Are you _kidding?!_ Harry, does this,” Blaise motioned up and down his injured body, “look like he’s _lost interest_?!”

            Harry was once again stunned. “You mean Draco did this to you?”

            “Along with the nice little series of hexes he hit me with on the train back to Hogwarts after Christmas break, Draco made it clear I was supposed to stay away from you. He was _really_ not happy that day Snape paired me with you and he hit me with a stinging hex later that day. Then there was the potion he slipped into my drink at lunch the day he overheard Madam Pince telling Snape about you and me getting loud in the library.

            “Given all of that, is it really that shocking that he would do this after catching us in the shower together and, from our conversation, coming to the conclusion you and I had…been intimate in the kitchen just before he arrive _and_ on the train leaving Hogwarts?” Blaise asked sarcastically.

            Harry frowned. “Wait! Draco was there?!”

            “What do you mean? Didn’t you see him? Or the death glare he was sending me?!”

            “Of course not! I wasn’t wearing my glasses, Blaise. All I saw was Snape and Lucius Malfoy.”

            Blaise shook his head, but stopped with a wince. “Look, Harry. If you like him, do me a favor and go ask him out or something? Make it clear you and I are only friends and get him to go out with you. I assure you, you would get a lot of gratitude from the Slytherins,” Blaise finished in a mutter.

            “Right,” Harry said dazedly. He shook his head and saw that Blaise was looking tired. “Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll be back tomorrow with Neville.”

            Blaise frowned. “I don’t want him to see me like this!”

            “What? Why not?”

            “I’m injured, Harry! I’m not exactly a very impressive sight right now,” Blaise muttered.

            Harry rolled his eyes. “Blaise, trust me. It would be much, much worse to not let Neville come visit you. He will think you don’t want to see him. He would also think you blame him for you landing in the infirmary.”

            Blaise winced. “Right, see you tomorrow, Harry. And don’t forget to bring Neville.”

            Harry gave Blaise a small smile before he blew out the candle and left the infirmary.

******************************

            Rather than return to Gryffindor Tower, Harry wandered up to the Owlery. He found it was one of his favorite places to go to think and after his conversation with Blaise he needed to do a lot of thinking.

            Just before he reached the top of the stairs, he heard pacing and angry muttering coming from the Owlery. Moving slowly and quietly, Harry looked into the room.

            In the center of the room was a writing desk, spelled to stay clean, that had appeared at the end of the last year. Apparently someone had gotten tired of having to go all the way back downstairs when they remembered something they had forgotten to put into their letter.

            Sitting on the writing desk was a small box. On the other side of the desk was Draco. He was pacing back and forth, stopping occasionally to glare at the box. Once he even pointed his wand at the box before turning on his heel and pacing away, muttering under his breath.

            While Draco’s back was turned, Harry took the opportunity to walk over to the desk. When Draco turned back, Harry asked, “What’s in the box, Draco?”

            Draco froze at the sight of Harry standing there on the other side of the desk. He just stared at Harry. Suddenly he sneered, “What do you care, Potter?”

            Harry reached out and picked up the box. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Draco jerk and start for the desk, but it was too late. Harry stared at the little tag with his name. He looked up and asked incredulously, “For me?”

            Draco glared and sneered and turned his back. “I was going to give it to you when we returned from Christmas break. It was my idea of something different.” Draco turned back to Harry and glared even more intensely. “Apparently, though, I should have just tried stalking you. It worked out well enough for Blaise,” Draco sneered.

            Before Harry could say anything, Draco lifted his wand and started sending hexes and curses at Harry. Harry ducked behind the desk and put the box in his pocket. He rolled away as Draco came around the desk.

            Harry had been training for years to go up against Voldemort, the _Dark Lord_. He could easily handle a pouting blond Slytherin who was throwing a temper tantrum. Even one as skilled as Draco.

            Harry ducked down behind the desk once more, used his invisibility spell, walked around behind Draco, dropped the spell and grabbed the blond, pinning his arms to his sides.

            “Let me go, Potter!” Draco shouted as he struggled.

            “No,” Harry breathed in Draco’s ear. “You are going to listen to me. There is nothing going on between me and Blaise. We’re just friends.”

            Draco sneered, “Oh, right. Because you shower with all of your friends. Tell me, have many ‘close calls on the train’ with Weasel and Granger?”

            “Eww,” Harry said, wrinkling his nose. “Draco, that’s just…eww. And that wasn’t what it looked like or what it sounded like. On the train, Blaise was inviting me over and Pansy nearly caught us talking. With the whole Slytherin-Gryffindor thing, not to mention the whole Dark Lord thing, we didn’t think it was a good idea for people to see us together.”

            “Perhaps you should learn to lock the bathroom door if you don’t want an audience.”

            “Draco, stop being so difficult. Blaise invited me to his house because he knew I was going to be alone at a house I hate and-”

            “Right, because you’ve suddenly come to hate going to Weasel’s house over breaks and holidays.”

            Harry rolled his eyes. “Actually, I have. If you hadn’t been ignoring me, you might have noticed that I don’t really spend time with Ron or Hermione any more. And it’s been a nightmare going to the Burrow with Ginny there.” Harry winced when Draco stiffened at the mention of Ginny and he rushed on. “So when Blaise invited me to his house, I agreed.”

            “Where you two just _happened_ to have sex in the kitchen and then-”

            “No, where we just happened to have gotten stuck together after our food fight. Apparently we mixed some things that were never meant to be mixed. The only way to get unstuck was hot water. Come on, Draco. You’re a Quidditch player too. You’ve been in the locker room showers. Nothing happened.”

            “Really,” Draco drawled. “So you two were still stuck together when we arrived? And _that_ was why you had your arm around Blaise and were promising to ‘make it up’ to him?”

            Harry rolled his eyes. “I was just teasing him. Honestly, Draco! Nothing has ever happened between me and Blaise! I had just gotten him together with Neville and Nev’s too good a friend-”

            “ _Longbottom?!_ ”

            Harry frowned at the back of the blond head in front of him. “Yes, Neville. Who happens to be a good friend of mine, Draco,” Harry said warningly.

            “Blaise and _Longbottom_?” Draco repeated in disbelief.

            Harry rolled his eyes. “Yes. I found out Blaise liked Neville and I set up study sessions to get the two together. It was only recently that one of them asked the other out. They haven’t even gone on their first date yet. That’s why I was teasing Blaise like that.”

            “You set Blaise up…with Longbottom,” Draco repeated blankly.

            Harry rolled his eyes again and leaned forward to whisper in the blond’s ear. “Is that any stranger than the thought of you and me together?” Harry smiled when he felt Draco shiver.

            “You and Blaise are just friends,” Draco said suspiciously.

            “Mm-hm,” Harry hummed, brushing his lips against Draco’s ear. He smiled again when Draco shivered again. “Why have you been ignoring me, Draco?”

            Draco tensed, but didn’t answer.

            Harry pressed a feather-light kiss to Draco’s neck and asked a different question. “You got me a gift, Draco?”

            “Yes,” Draco muttered. “If you had ever gotten away from any of your stalkers, I would have gotten more. I wanted to see how you like this one before I decided what to get you next.”

            Harry looked at the back of Draco’s head in disbelief. “I thought you said you had gotten me a Christmas gift.”

            Draco turned in Harry’s arms and frowned up at him. “No, I said I was going to give you a gift after we returned from Christmas break.” Draco’s voice took on a haughty tone as he continued. “It’s quite traditional to use gifts to get someone’s attention, Potter. In fact-”  
            Harry smiled down at Draco and then slowly leaned forward, giving Draco plenty of time to stop him. Draco stopped mid-sentence and his eyes went wide, but he made no move to stop Harry. Harry felt Draco’s quickened breathing on his lips just before he pressed them against Draco’s lips.

            The kiss was nothing like any Harry had had before. Even just the so-far chaste press of lips to lips was far hotter than anything Harry had known with either Cho or Ginny.

            Harry flicked his tongue out to taste Draco’s lips. Draco groaned and parted his lips for Harry. At the same time, he brought his arms up and wrapped them around Harry’s neck and pushed his hands into Harry’s hair.

            Harry tightened his arms around Draco’s waist and pulled him closer. He slipped his tongue into Draco’s mouth and they both moaned.

            As their tongues dueled, Harry walked Draco backwards until the blond’s back was pressed up against a stone wall. Harry pressed close and they both moaned again as their erections ground together through their clothes.

            The need to breathe ended the kiss. Harry panted against Draco’s neck as his hands slid down to caress the blond’s hips. Draco leaned his head back against the stone wall and Harry kissed his way up to Draco’s ear.

            “Go out with me, Draco?”

            “What?” Draco asked sounding dazed.

            Harry nibbled on Draco’s ear. “Will you go out with me?”

            “Yes,” Draco breathed before turning his head and kissing Harry.

            The kiss was every bit as intense as the first. Hands started roaming as they tasted each other. Draco caressed down Harry’s back and then up Harry’s chest. Harry slid his hands around between Draco and the wall and grabbed Draco’s ass with both hands, squeezing.

            Harry and Draco jerked apart when they heard voices coming up the stairs.

            “Damn,” Harry said. He turned and gave Draco a quick, chaste kiss. “Valentine’s Day is only a few days away. Nev and Blaise are planning to have their first date on Valentine’s. How would you feel about doing the same? I could sneak off with Neville and you and Blaise could sneak off together, we can meet up and trade off. What do you think?” Harry spoke quickly, trying to make plans and get out of there before they were caught.

            Draco licked his lips. “Valentine’s Day?”

            “Yes. I-” Harry broke off as the voices downstairs came again, sounding closer. “Look, why don’t you visit Blaise tomorrow and…settle things between you? I promise, nothing ever happened between us.” Harry kissed the tip of Draco’s nose. “I promised I would take Neville to see him tomorrow night and while they are visiting, if you won’t mind sneaking out, you and I can talk. What do you think?”

            Before Draco could say anything, they heard the voices downstairs again. Draco made a sound of frustration and then nodded quickly.

            Harry and Draco rushed to the stairs. Fortunately, they managed to make it to the third floor landing and were in the corridor with the door shut behind them before whoever was on the stairs saw them.

            “Remember, midnight tomorrow in the infirmary,” Harry whispered.

 Draco nodded, leaned over and kissed Harry hard on the lips and then turned and headed for the dungeons.

            Harry let himself appreciate the sight of Draco walking away from him for a few moments before he turned and headed for Gryffindor Tower. He could feel a silly grin on his face and he had to resist the urge to whistle.


	21. A Day with Slytherins

            Severus sighed as he left his chambers and headed for the Slytherin common room. He had only gotten a couple of hours sleep after returning from the meeting with the Dark Lord and when he had woken this morning he had found a letter from the Headmaster telling him he needed to check on his students.

            Severus sighed again as he reached the painting entrance to the common room. Severus was familiar with the wording in the letter Dumbledore had left him. Though the letter did not say so, Severus knew he was going to find one of his students in the infirmary and one of his students would be responsible. If a student from another house was involved, Dumbledore would have sent a much different letter.

            Glaring at the painting, Severus gave the password and stepped into the common room. For a moment he stood in the shadows and observed the occupants of the room. He quickly noticed two things. Blaise was missing and Draco was in a much, much better mood than the last time Severus had seen him.

            Resisting the urge to sigh again, Severus said, “Draco!”

            The students in the common room jerked around at the sound. Draco looked up, saw his Head of House, and stood. “Yes, Professor?” he asked politely.

            Severus frowned at the boy. Yes, Draco was in a good mood this morning. “My office,” Severus snapped before turning and sweeping from the room.

            In his office, Severus sat down behind his desk. When Draco had sat across from him, he used his wand and placed privacy charms on the office door. Then he sat back and just looked at Draco, letting the silence stretch out.

            Draco knew what his godfather was trying to do, but he was much too good a Slytherin to break down and start babbling like some Hufflepuff. Besides, he was also in too good a mood to let anything bother him this morning.

            Severus glared at his uncooperative godson. “Draco, would you happen to know anything about where Blaise is this morning?” he asked coolly.

            “Well, I had heard that he was still in the infirmary. I was hoping to go see him today and see how he’s doing. Hopefully he will get out soon,” Draco said smoothly. He wasn’t even lying when he said he hoped Blaise got out of the infirmary soon. He suspected Harry might cancel their date if Blaise wasn’t able to make it to his and… _Longbottom_ ’s date. Draco resisted the urge to shake his head at that thought.

            Severus was not only a Slytherin himself, but he had been Head of Slytherin too long to not be able to read between the lines. Apparently, whatever had happened to land Blaise in the infirmary had also cleared the air between the two students.

            “I see. And you would have no idea as to how Mr. Zabini had ended up in the infirmary?” Severus asked. He knew he would not get the truth if Draco was the one responsible, but again, being Head of Slytherin had given him a certain amount of insight into his students.

            “I believe it was a misunderstanding,” Draco said smoothly. “But as I wasn’t there I couldn’t tell you for sure.”

            Severus’ brows rose. _A misunderstanding? And just how did Blaise convince Draco of that after what was seen and heard on our little visit to Zabini Estate?_ Severus would have to keep a close eye on the situation. Perhaps he would get more information from Blaise when he visited the boy in the infirmary later.

            “Very well, Draco. You may go.” Severus removed the spells from the door and let Draco leave. The meeting had not gone at all as he had thought it would and he hoped that his godson would not be turning his attention to his son. _His son._ That was still a strange thought for Severus.

            Severus sighed as he rose from his chair and headed for breakfast. He suppressed the urge to groan as he remembered that he would be sitting next to _Lupin_ at the Head Table. And he would have to try to be _nice_ for Harry’s sake.

            _Well, there are times when having a reputation for being a complete bastard comes in handy_ , Severus thought. He could get away with just ignoring the werewolf and, for him, it would be considered nice enough.

            Severus placed a scowl on his face and left the dungeons.

************************************

            Draco headed up to breakfast as soon as he left his godfather’s office. Harry had been leaving breakfast early for months now…as had Blaise. Draco scowled. Even if nothing had happened between them, he would make it clear to Blaise that no more ‘accidents’ would be tolerated. If Harry was going to shower with any Slytherin, it would be Draco.

            Draco shivered and then winced when the thought had a rather predictable effect and made it difficult to walk up the last few stairs from the dungeons. In an attempt to get rid of his erection before anyone saw him in such a state, Draco turned his mind back to the thought of Harry in the shower with _Blaise_. Draco scowled again. Yes, Blaise definitely deserved what he got.

            Draco suddenly stopped as he neared the doors into the Great Hall. Harry was standing just a few feet away…with the Weaselette hanging all over him.

            “Oh, Harry. Stop being so silly. I’ll take you back. It’ll be so good between us. I’ll even,” Ginny giggled and lowered her voice to a whisper, “I’ll even show you _my_ room the next time you come to the Burrow.”

            Draco saw red. How dare that _witch_ put her hands on Harry?! Damn it, he was _Draco’s_ now. And the thought of what she really wanted to ‘show’ Harry…!

            Draco had his wand out before he had even really thought about which hex he was going to use. He hit the _witch_ with several spells before he thought about it. When he stopped, reluctantly, he was panting.

            He looked at the witch and nearly stomped his foot in frustration. He had several more spells he wanted to use, but…He had to be a little more discreet if he was going to keep Harry and not have to worry about his father or anyone else getting in the way.

            Harry, who had still been half asleep when he had been ambushed by Ginny outside the Great Hall, stared down at the girl lying on the floor. Her nose had grown to a length to put Snape’s to shame and her eyes were now two different colors, one orange and one yellow. Her hair was a hideous shade of pink, she was covered in purple and yellow dots and her robes had been turned into…Harry didn’t even know how to describe the outfit Ginny was now wearing except maybe that it looked like it might be the wizarding world’s equivalent of stripper clothes. And that was being generous.

            And the look on the witch’s face! Harry covered his mouth with his hand as he lifted his eyes and looked towards the source of the hexes. His eyes widened and he had to bite his hand to muffle his laughter. Draco was looking at Ginny like he was thinking of all the other, much worse, things he’d like to do to her.

            Draco took his eyes off the stunned witch on the floor when he heard a noise. He met Harry’s laughing eyes and smirked.

            “What’s going on here?”

            Both boys turned to Remus, who had just turned the corner on his way to breakfast. As he got closer, they watched the shock flicker across his face before he bit his lip, obviously trying not to laugh.

            Ginny scrambled up from the floor. She pointed her finger at Draco and said angrily, “Malfoy did it!”

            Remus cleared his throat a couple of times, trying to swallow his laughter. Harry put on a worried look.

            “Ginny, what are you talking about? Malfoy just got here. He couldn’t have done it,” Harry said. Harry struggled to keep from laughing as three looks of shock were sent in his direction. Fortunately, Ginny had had her back to Draco and had been distracted so she couldn’t say for sure that he was the one that hexed her.

            When Draco had gotten over the shock of Harry lying for him, his smirk returned. “What’s wrong, Weaselette? Looks like an improvement to me,” Draco sneered.

            Ginny snarled and pulled out her wand.

            Remus quickly stepped forward. “Miss Weasley, please. I think it would be best if you were to make your way to the infirmary. Oh, dear,” Remus said, not able to keep the amusement out of his voice at the sight of Ginny’s nose growing another inch. “I think you may wish to hurry.”

            Ginny squeaked and reached up to grab her nose. She let out a horrified gasp and sent Draco a withering glare. Then she turned to Harry. “You’ll go with me, won’t you, Harry?” she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.

            She missed the look of distaste that crossed Harry’s face because she was watching her finger trail down Harry’s arm. The other men in the corridor, however, did not miss the look. Remus’ brows rose and Draco’s smirk grew.

            At that moment, Dean Thomas came out of the Great Hall. He had heard Ginny talking to one of her friends about coming to breakfast early and he had been hoping to sit with her. He stopped when he caught sight of the other occupants in the corridor and his eyes went wide at the sight of Ginny.

            “Ah, Mr. Thomas,” Remus said. “Since you have already finished breakfast, would you be so kind as to escort Miss Weasley to the infirmary?”

            “Uh, sure,” Dean said, still staring at Ginny.

            Ginny sent a quick glare at Remus and then marched off. Dean hurried after her.

            Harry sent Remus a grateful look and Remus gave Harry a questioning look. Harry shook his head.

            “What is going on here?” a dark voice asked.

            Harry, Draco and Remus all turned to look at the dark figure standing just behind Draco.

            Severus, who had arrived just in time to see Harry give the werewolf a grateful look, notice that Draco still had his wand in his hand, albeit held in a way that it would obviously not be seen from the direction of the two Gryffindor’s.

            Remus gave Severus a bright smile. “We were just going in to breakfast. Would you like to walk in with me, Severus?”

            Severus scowled more fiercely. He opened his mouth to answer, but Remus spoke before he could.

            “I had wanted to speak with you about something, if you didn’t mind,” Remus said, still smiling slightly.

            Severus, in place of the sigh that was working its way up his throat, growled and swept towards the door into the Great Hall.

            “Oh, and don’t forget to come by my office after your classes, Harry,” Remus said before following after Severus. He nearly ran into Severus when the man turned around suddenly.

            Severus raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Don’t tell me you have detention already, Potter?”

            Harry resisted the urge to smirk. Instead he rolled his eyes. “Why? Upset that someone beat you to it?”

            Remus frowned at Harry and then turned back to the Potions Master. “Severus…”

            Severus turned his attention to the werewolf and had to restrain himself from jerking back. The other man was standing quite close. Severus frowned. It wasn’t like him to let someone invade his personal space like that, much less without noticing.

            Remus hid his smile as Severus blinked rapidly at him. He had succeeded in surprising the other man. “Breakfast?” Remus asked innocently, casually.

            Severus glared at Remus and turned and headed for the Great Hall. He was disgruntled to note that the werewolf easily caught up to him and kept up a steady stream of soft chatter as they walked.

            Harry and Draco followed after their professors. Harry grinned at Draco when he saw the Slytherin putting his wand away. Draco smirked at him and winked. Harry’s grin grew and, just before they walked through the doors into the Great Hall, he reached out and caressed the back of Draco’s hand. He winked at the blond when he heard his breath hitch at the contact.

            Inside the Great Hall, Harry and Draco were forced to part and head for their respective tables while the older men headed for the Head Table, Remus still talking.

********************************

            Draco had a break just before lunch and he decided to head to the infirmary to see Blaise. He went to the dungeons to drop off his books and get the ones for his classes after lunch and then he went to the infirmary.

            Draco walked into the infirmary and headed over to Blaise’s bed. He gave a small, cold smile at the wariness that came into the other boy’s eyes at the sight of him.

            Blaise sat up against the headboard and stuck his hand under his pillow where he had hidden his wand.

            Draco stopped by Blaise’s bed and looked at him a moment. The first thing out of his mouth was not what he had intended to say. “ _Longbottom?!_ ”

            Blaise kept his Slytherin mask in place, but he nearly sighed in relief. Harry must have talked to Draco and convinced the blond that there was nothing between them. He just gave a shrug in answer to Draco’s question and pulled his hand out from under his pillow.

            Draco shook his head. “Seriously, Blaise. _Longbottom_?!”

            Blaise rolled his eyes. “ _Neville_ happens to be a good friend of Harry’s. And there are plenty of people who would think it far stranger that you like _Harry_.”

            Draco glared and Blaise suddenly found the blond’s wand pressed against his throat.

            “Yes, about that…”

            Blaise froze. “I thought Harry had explained that nothing-” Blaise broke off as the wand was pressed more firmly to his throat.

            “Mm-hm…Harry said it was just a ‘misunderstanding,’ an **accident** ,” Draco sneered. “Let me make it clear to you, Blaise. No more ‘accidents’ will be tolerated. Harry’s _mine_ now and if anything like that happens again…” Draco gave the other Slytherin a cold smile. “What I do to you will make this,” Draco flicked his eyes over Blaise, “seem like nothing. Do I make myself clear?”

            “Perfectly,” Blaise said. _Geez. And I thought he was bad **before**. I seriously can’t wait until he and Harry…okay, eww. Not a mental image I need. But honestly, maybe once those two are…an established couple and after all these years…_

            Draco let the silence drag out for a moment and then he pulled his wand away. “Good. Now, we have plans to make.”

            “Plans?” Blaise asked cautiously.

            “Harry told me that you and…Longbottom are planning to have your first date on Valentine’s Day. He suggested that it would be a good day for our first date as well. He also suggested that you and I leave together while Harry and…Longbottom leave together. We will meet up and switch off somewhere private.”

            Blaise shook his head at that. The Gryffindor Golden Boy was proving to be quite Slytherin at times. From what Draco said, what Harry was really saying was that Draco would get a date as long as nothing prevented Blaise and Neville from having their first date.

            “Nothing will go wrong,” Draco said warningly, almost as if he had read Blaise‘s mind. “Now, we only have a few days and you’ll be in here for at least another day…”

            The two Slytherins talked quietly, discussing their plans for their dates.

            This was the scene when Severus arrived into the infirmary nearly a half hour later. He stopped when he caught sight of his two students. They were obviously planning something together, so it looked like he had been right about the two working things out between them.

            Severus had been planning to see if he could get any more information from Blaise about the attack on him, but given the scene at the Zabini Estate and Narcissa’s revelation he knew what had happened. After watching for a few minutes more, Severus turned and left. The situation seemed to have resolved itself.

            And besides, he had other things to focus on. Severus scowled. Like why Harry was going to meet with that werewolf. He knew Lupin would never give Harry detention. So what was going on there?


	22. Valentine's Day

            Harry tossed his bag onto his bed and sighed. He had enjoyed visiting with Remus after his classes, but he had run into Ron and Hermione in the common room afterwards. He had had to listen to a lecture from Hermione and whining from Ron about the fact that he had not gone with Ginny to the infirmary this morning and about not taking the chance to get Draco in trouble.

            Despite Snape’s suggestion that Remus had given him detention, Remus had really just wanted to talk to Harry about Blaise being in the infirmary. Harry had mentioned his hope that the Slytherin would be out in time for his date with Neville and he had also told the werewolf about Draco agreeing to go out with him.

            Harry shook his head, remembering the conversation and shoved his hands into his pocket. He quickly pulled them out in surprise. He blinked and then smiled. It was the gift Draco had gotten him. After nearly getting hexed, convincing Draco that nothing had happened between him and Blaise, kissing Draco, asking Draco out and almost getting caught he had completely forgotten about the little box.

            He slowly opened the box and looked inside. Harry gasped.

            Hearing a sound behind him, Harry turned and saw Neville had come up from the common room. “Neville! Come look at this!” Harry said, turning back to the little white box he held.

            Neville walked over and looked. “Wow, Harry. Where did you get that?”

            Harry blushed and mumbled, “Draco.”

            Neville blinked, but then just nodded.

            Harry looked at his gift again and he smiled. It was just like Draco.

            Inside the box was a ring. The ring managed to be both elegant and masculine at the same time. As might be expected, it was silver with a bright green gemstone; Slytherin colors. The gem, when it caught the light, rather than sparkle looked like it contained lightening.

            Harry brought the box closer and noticed there was a little crown etched into the band on either side of the green gem. Harry gave a little laugh. It was a ring fit for the ‘Slytherin Prince.’

            “I wonder what he meant by seeing how I like it before he got the next gifts,” Harry murmured with a frown.

            Neville made a choked sound.

            Harry turned to look at him. “What?”

            “It’s a pureblood courting tradition,” Neville said looking at Harry.

            Harry gaped at him. “What?”

            Neville nodded. “It’s,” he blushed, “it’s actually considered one of the more romantic courting traditions. It‘s not one that‘s used very often though since a lot of pureblood families have arranged marriages with more, um, perfunctory courtships.”  
            Harry just continued to gape. “Courting…tradition?”

            Neville nodded again. “The first step is to give, well, you in this case, a gift that can be worn openly. It is a sign that the courting has begun and you are supposed to wear it for the duration of the courtship. After that, the gifts are supposed to be…” Neville frowned, trying to think of how to explain it. “Well, the gifts are supposed to be mementos, reminders of time spent together. You know, like souvenirs from a date. Or something that represents the date. Like if a guy picked a flower for a girl on the date he might get her a necklace with a flower pendant for a gift.”

            Harry blushed. “And, uh, when he said that he wanted to see how I like this gift before…?”  
            “Well, technically, the courting doesn’t begin until you wear the first gift openly,” Neville said, nodding to the box in Harry’s hand. “If you don’t wear it then it’s seen as a rejection and the courtship ends.”

            Harry felt a flare of panic at the thought and he quickly fumbled to get the ring out of the box and slipped the ring onto the ring finger of his wand hand. Harry couldn’t help but think the ring would look really good with his real appearance. He frowned, wondering what Draco would think of his true appearance.

            “Harry?” Neville sounded worried.

            Harry turned to his friend. “How am I going to wear this openly? I mean, with the colors…” He turned back to the ring.

            Neville frowned. “What do you mean? It’s Gryffindor colors.”

            Harry once again gaped at Neville. “Gryffindor colors?!”

            Harry turned back to the ring and then he grinned. “I guess Draco took that into consideration then. I wonder if he can fix it so you can see it the way it really is.”

            “The way it really is?” Neville asked, looking at the ring again.

            “Yeah. I’ll ask him about it tonight.”

            Neville looked distressed. “Tonight? But I thought we were…” Neville looked around the room and then leaned in and whispered, “I thought we were going to see Blaise tonight.”

            Harry nodded. “Yeah, I told him to meet us there. I figure he and I could talk and give you and Blaise a little time alone.” Harry grinned.

            Neville blushed and smiled back. “Thanks, Harry.”

*********************************

            When Harry heard Ron start snoring, he stuck his head between his bed curtains and looked over at Neville’s bed. Neville looked back at him. Harry nodded and they both slipped out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

            Once in the bathroom, Harry used a couple quick spells to make sure they were alone. It might have been a little paranoid, but after the Rita Skeeter thing, Harry was not taking any chances.

            Satisfied they were alone and there were no surveillance spells in place, Harry turned to Neville. “Okay, I didn’t want anyone to know about this, but I know I can trust you. I sort of…made this spell. It’s a version of the Disillusionment spell. It’ll keep people from seeing us.”

            Neville’s eyes got wide.

            Harry frowned. “Only I’m not sure if it’ll work on two people at once or if I’ll need to cast the spell once for each of us. And if so…” Harry shook his head. “We are just going to have to try it and see how it goes.”

            In the end, they had to use a separate spell for each of them and they had to hold hands because they found out that the spell muffled sound as well as concealed them from sight. Harry decided to work on refining the spell later.

            They left the bathroom and headed for the infirmary. It didn’t take long at all for them to reach the infirmary and slip inside. Once inside, Harry removed the spell and let go of Neville’s hand.

            “Wouldn’t want Blaise to get the wrong idea,” Harry whispered to Neville, grinning. He led Neville over to the bed where Blaise was and they closed the curtains behind them.

            Neville started to walk over to Blaise, but then he caught sight of Draco Malfoy and he stopped. Harry reached out and pulled on Neville’s arm and dragged him to the opposite side of the bed from where Draco was standing.

            Harry was relieved to see that Blaise was looking much better than the previous night. The gauze was gone and it looked like all of the cuts had been healed. There only seemed to be some fading bruises left.

            “You’re looking better, Blaise,” Harry said. “Going to get out soon?”

            Blaise nodded. “Yeah, tomorrow after breakfast. I could probably have left today, but Madam Pomfrey wanted me to rest.” Blaise shrugged and turned to Neville. “Hey.” He smiled.

            Neville moved closer to the bed and, after a wary look at Draco, grabbed Blaise’s hand. “How are you feeling?”

            Blaise smiled. “I’m fine.”

            Harry caught Draco’s eye and shot a look towards the part in the curtains. Draco smirked and walked over and stepped out. Harry turned to the other two and smiled. “Why don’t I step out and let you two have a little privacy.”

            Blaise smirked and Neville blushed as Harry walked out.

            On the other side of the curtains, Harry grabbed Draco’s hand and grinned. “Over here.”

            Draco lifted an eyebrow, but allowed Harry to pull him along. His other eyebrow rose as Harry opened one of the few rooms Madam Pomfrey had for quarantining patients.

            Harry just grinned and shut the door behind them.

            There was some moonlight coming through a window on one wall. It wasn’t really a window, as in it didn’t actually open to the outside, but it was a window created to show a variety of views. It was meant to help ease the boredom of a long stay in quarantine.

            The moonlight showed a room with only a bed and a bedside table. Draco turned back to Harry, whose hand he still held. As he did, he felt the ring on the Gryffindor’s hand and he lifted their connected hands to look.

            Harry smiled when he saw Draco’s smirk and his satisfied look. “It’s really beautiful, Draco. Thank you.”

            “It has a spell on it,” Draco said casually. “You won’t have to worry about anyone giving you a hard time for wearing it.”

            Harry smiled. “I know. I tried to show it off to Neville and he saw Gryffindor colors. Would it be possible to show him the way it really looks?”

            Draco felt a strange fluttery sensation in his stomach when he heard that Harry had shown the ring off. “Yes, the spell can be adjusted so that certain people can see the ring as it really is. That’s why you could see it the way you do. I can also see the real appearance,” Draco said with a smirk.

            Harry grinned. “Good. Then before we leave would you…?”

            Draco nodded and looked at the ring again. He rubbed it with his thumb, noticing it felt warm. Harry hadn’t just put it on before showing up to the infirmary then. Draco felt that fluttery sensation in his stomach again and this time he also felt his chest tighten.

            “Draco,” Harry whispered.

            Draco lifted his gaze and watched the other boy move closer. His breathing sped up. Harry place the hand Draco wasn’t holding on the blond’s hip and pulled him close. When there were only a few inches between them Harry leaned down and brushed his lips against Draco’s.

            After a few teasing touches, Draco couldn’t take any more. He closed the distance between them, pressing himself against Harry and slipping his arms around Harry’s neck. Harry groaned at the feeling of Draco pressed against him and wrapped his arms around the blond’s waist.

            Draco licked Harry’s bottom lip, trying to get Harry to stop teasing him. Harry’s breath hitched and one hand moved up into Draco’s hair. He tilted his head just a bit and then he touched his tongue to Draco’s, following it back into Draco’s mouth.

            Draco whimpered. Harry kissed him slowly, thoroughly. Harry obviously knew what he was doing. Draco felt a stab of jealousy at the thought, but it disappeared swiftly, along with every other thought in his head, when the hand in the small of his back moved down and pulled his lower body against Harry’s.

            Harry groaned at the delicious feeling of the blond writhing in his arms. Their hips were grinding together and, _god_ , if Draco didn’t stop Harry was going to come in his pants.

            The kiss ended when they absolutely couldn’t go another moment without breathing. They panted and Harry kissed along Draco’s jaw until he reached his ear. Harry started to nibble on his ear, but then Draco kissed down the side of Harry’s neck and Harry tilted his head to give the blond better access. Draco sucked up a mark over Harry’s pulse point, drawing a groan from the Gryffindor.

            Harry gave a gentle tug on Draco’s hair and kissed him again when the Slytherin looked up. This kiss was, if possible, even hotter than the first. Their hips were still moving together and they were getting closer and closer to the edge.

            Draco slid one hand down along Harry’s chest and circled his nipple through his clothes. Harry broke the kiss and threw his head back with a gasp. Then he brought his head back down and nibbled on Draco’s ear.

            Draco gasped and stiffened when Harry licked along the curve of his ear. As he came, Draco pinched the nipple he had been teasing and pulled Harry over the edge with him. Harry bit his lip, trying to muffle his loud groan of pleasure.

            After, they stood there shaking and holding each other up. Harry staggered back a few steps until his back hit the door. He rested against the door and held onto Draco. He had certainly never meant to take things that far; he had only wanted a kiss. Not that he was complaining. Far from it.

            “Mmm, I’ll have to remember you have sensitive ears,” Harry panted into Draco’s ear.

            Draco shivered at the feel of Harry’s warm breath on his ear, causing Harry’s to chuckle. Draco ignored the laugh and leaned against Harry while he tried to catch his breath.

            As his breathing slowed, Harry pulled out his wand and cast a cleaning charm over both of them. As he put his wand away, he dropped a kiss on the tip of Draco’s nose.  “We should probably go check on Neville and Blaise,” Harry murmured.

            Draco sighed, but reluctantly pulled away from Harry. Harry grinned and again kissed the tip of the blond’s nose. When Draco pouted a bit, Harry chuckled and said, “What? You have a cute nose.”

            Draco pulled on Harry’s shoulder and pressed a kissed to his lips and then opened the door and walked through. Harry reached out and grabbed Draco’s hand and followed him through the dark infirmary to the curtained off bed.

            Neville’s eyes widened and Blaise smirked as they walked in hand and hand. Draco’s usually perfectly brushed hair was mussed, his robes were wrinkled and his lips were a bit swollen. Harry looked slightly better, but only because his hair was always looking like someone had been running his hands through it. (Not a thought Blaise was ever going to share with Draco, that’s for sure.) His lips were also swollen. Both were a little flushed.

            Blaise opened his mouth to comment on their appearance, but he shut it quickly when Draco glared at him.

            “So,” Harry said, “have you two talked about Valentine’s Day? It’s only a few days away. Like I told Draco, I thought Nev and I could leave together and then he and Blaise could leave together and we could meet up and switch off.”

            “Yeah, Draco told me about that. We thought we could meet at the Quidditch pitch. Well, just inside the tree line of the forest to the north of the pitch,” Blaise said. “Directly across from the commentator’s booth.”

            Harry nodded. “Okay. That’s sounds like a plan.” Harry reached up to push some hair out of his face. “Any ideas on what we…What?”

            Blaise was gaping at him. “Uh, Harry, that’s…a nice ring.”

            Harry blinked and then held out his hand to look at the ring. “Oh.” He tired not to blush and he cleared his throat. “Yeah, Draco gave it to me.” He grinned and walked over, holding out his hand so that Blaise could get a better look.

            “Wow. Well, there’s no mistaking who it’s from,” Blaise said. From the warning look Draco was giving him, Blaise suspected that Harry had no idea what it meant that he wore the ring.

            “Oh, so you can see it the way it is?” Harry asked frowning.  
            “Yes,” Draco said. “I made sure he could.”

            Harry gave Blaise a sympathetic smile and Blaise tried not to wince at the cold, almost threatening tone in Draco’s voice.

            Harry turned to Draco. “So, could you make it so that Nev can see it?”

            Draco nodded and pulled out his wand. Holding Harry’s hand in his he performed a brief spell.

            Harry smiled at Draco and then held out his hand for Neville to see. Neville leaned close to look at the ring.

            “I can see why you put the spell on it. It would definitely be noticed if Harry wore a ring in Slytherin colors,” Neville said. “It’s lovely.”

            Draco just smirked.

            Harry smiled at the ring and then lowered his hand. “So, about our dates,” Harry said, “any ideas?”

            “Plenty,” Draco said, “but you’ll just have to wait and be surprised.”

            Harry grinned. “I like surprises. Well, come on, Nev. We should get back. See you later, Blaise. Bye, Draco.”

            Harry turned and gave Draco a quick kiss and then left. Neville gave Blaise a shy smile and a wave and followed.

            “Draco…” Blaise said.

            He wasn’t going to ask if Draco was sure about giving Harry the ring. Given how long Draco had been obsessed, Blaise figured the blond was quite sure he wanted Harry permanently. And while Harry might have only recently _figured out_ that he was gay, he had always been just as obsessed with Draco as Draco was with him. So, while Harry might not realize what it meant to wear the ring, Blaise wasn’t sure it would matter. However…

            “Draco,” Blaise said again. “Does he know that all of the Slytherins will see the ring as it really is?”

            “No,” Draco said. “I didn’t want him deciding to not wear the ring because he was worrying about which of us was going to report it back to the Dark Lord.”

***********************************

            Severus scowled as he walked along the road to Hogsmeade. He sometimes thought the Headmaster was, in his own way, as sadistic as the Dark Lord. Making him chaperone students at Hogsmeade on _Valentine’s Day_.

            He glared at the students around him. His internal diatribe ground to a halt when he saw two of his students walking close together and whispering to each other. Draco and Blaise were walking slowly on the left side of the road.

            Well, that explained how Blaise had calmed Draco down. Severus glared at the boys as he wondered what Blaise had told Harry.

            “Severus!”

            Severus resisted the urge to groan at the cheerful greeting. “Lupin,” he growled.

            Remus fell in beside Severus. “Dumbledore has you chaperoning as well?”

            “Yes.” Severus bit the tip of his tongue against the sarcastic remarks.

            Remus kept up a steady stream of cheerful chatter all the way into Hogsmeade. Severus remained silent for the most part, trying to remember that Harry was quite close to the werewolf.

*********************************

            “Come on, Blaise!” Draco hissed as they walked along the road to Hogsmeade. “We only have a couple hours before we said we’d meet up with them.”

            “I know!” Blaise hissed back. “I was just trying to make sure we hadn’t forgotten anything!”

            “We haven’t! We’ll stop by Honeydukes first and then by the Three Broomsticks. Everything else we need has been shrunk and put in our pockets,” Draco said. “Or left at the spots we have chosen.”

            Blaise huffed. “I just want to make sure everything is just right. The first date is the most important! The first date sets the tone for the whole relationship!”

            “Where did you hear that?”

            “My mother.”

            Draco rolled his eyes. “Come on, Blaise. I know your mother’s been married seven times, but the marriages haven’t lasted very long. She might not be the best source for dating advice.”

            “Oh yeah? Well, how about _your_ mother? She was the one my mother was talking to and she agreed completely!”

            Draco glared. “Well, what kind of impression does it make if we are late? What if they decide we aren’t coming and then they leave? We are NOT going to be late!”

            Blaise frowned. “I don’t want to be late either! I just want to make sure everything’s perfect!”

            Draco gave a frustrated sigh. “So do I! Now, come on!” Draco reached out and grabbed Blaise’s arm and dragged the dark haired Slytherin along.

********************************

            Harry decided that, all previous instances of stalking aside, he absolutely adored the Creeveys.

            He had just walked down from the dorms to the common room looking for Neville when Ginny had ambushed him. Before he even knew she was in the room, Ginny had herself pressed full length against him and was trying to slip one of her legs between his. He fought to keep the disgust from his face when she smoothed her hand down his chest.

            “Come on, Harry,” Ginny purred. “I know you’re just doing this to be all noble. But it’s okay. We can go out as…‘just friends,’” Ginny said with a wink. Then she leaned closer and whispered, “And what better time to get back together than the most romantic holiday? I know just the place where we can go for a little…alone time.” She dropped her voice at the end to what she obviously thought of as her ‘bedroom voice.’

            Harry started panicking when her hand dropped even further and stopped just barely above his zipper.

            “Harry! There you are,” a bright voice called out.

            “We’ve been looking all over for you!” a similar voice followed.

            Harry turned to see Colin and Dennis Creevey standing just to the left.

            “Sorry, Ginny,” Colin said.

            “But Harry promised he’d talk to us,” Dennis said.

            The two younger Gryffindors each grabbed one of Harry’s arms and dragged him away. Ginny resisted at first, while glaring at the two fair haired boys, and Harry feared he was about to become the rope in a game of tug-of-war. Suddenly the Creevey boys gave a jerk and Harry was free from Ginny. The redhead stumbled and nearly fell, but Harry was already halfway out of the room by the time she caught her balance.

            Out in the corridor the boys still held onto Harry and they didn’t stop until they had dragged him around the corner. Harry watched as they stuck their heads around the corner and watched. His curiosity getting the better of him, he leaned around the corner to see for himself.

            They watched Ginny rush out into the corridor and stomp her foot when she didn’t see them. The three then turned back to each other.

            “Thanks,” Harry said sincerely.

            “It’s okay, Harry,” Colin said. “I’ve seen that look on Dennis’ face when he gets cornered by the Hufflepuff girls.”

            “And I see it on Colin’s face when those Ravenclaw girls catch him,” Dennis said.

            Harry blinked. “Huh. Popular with the girls, then?”

            “Yeah,” the boys said together with matching sad, wistful looks.

            Harry tilted his head and took a guess. “Must make it hard to get the guys to ask you out, huh?”

            Harry started to wonder if the two weren’t twins rather than a year apart as they gave him matching looks of horror and shock and started stuttering.

            “Hey,” Harry said, holding up his hands. “There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”

            “Sorry, Harry,” Colin said. “It’s just that we hadn’t told anyone but each other.”

            Dennis nodded. “It’s not like we have a shot with the kind of guys we like anyway.”

            Harry gave Colin a panicked look. “Uh…”

            Colin laughed. “Relax, Harry. I got over that crush years ago.”

            Harry breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, if there’s anything I can do to help…”

            The boys gave him sad smiles and shook their heads.

            “Still,” Harry said. “Don’t be afraid to ask.”

********************************

            Draco glared at the witch flirting with Blaise. Blaise was trying to ignore her, but she was rather determined. If she didn’t go away they wouldn’t get out of here in time for their dates. Honeydukes was packed on Valentine’s Day every year and this year was no exception. They were cutting it close as it was. They did not need this witch getting in their way!

            Draco growled and marched up to her. “Back off, you cow! He’s taken.”

            The witch glared and reached for her wand. Before she could bring it out of her pocket, Draco’s wand was at her throat. He was careful to stand so that only Blaise could see his wand.

            “I’ve given you all the warning you are going to get. Leave,” Draco said coldly.

            The now terrified witch scurried away.

            “How did _she_ get into Ravenclaw?” Draco sneered. He turned to Blaise. “Blaise, are you done yet?”

            “No,” Blaise growled. “That girl wouldn’t stay out of my face. Just hold on.”  
********************************

            Remus and Severus were walking down the main street in Hogsmeade when a Ravenclaw girl hurried out of Honeydukes looking terrified. She saw Remus and hurried over.

            “Professor Lupin!” She sounded on the verge of tears. She also didn’t seem to see her Potions professor standing next to her DADA professor.

            Remus turned and looked at her in concern. “Yes?” He tried not to let show his alarm when Severus just kept walking.

            “Draco Malfoy-! I was just, and he just…” she broke of sniffling.

            Remus watched Severus turn and come back.

            “Draco Malfoy did…what?” Severus asked in a dark voice.

            Remus watched the girl pale and spin around to look at Severus.

            “I-he-” She looked at Remus pleadingly.

            “What did he do, Miss?” Remus asked sympathetically.

            “He pulled his wand on me! He had it pressed to my-my neck!”

            Remus frowned. “Why would he do that?”

            The girl blushed. “I-I was flirting.”

            “Ah, then perhaps he simply misunderstood-” Remus began.

            The girl gave him a horrified look. “Not with Malfoy! With Blaise Zabini! And then Malfoy just comes up and calls me a cow and-”

            “He just walked up to you and called you a cow for no reason?” Severus asked archly.

            She blushed again and said sullenly. “He told me to back off. Blaise was taken.”

            Remus struggled not to laugh. “Well, when someone flirts with your date, especially on Valentine’s Day, sometimes they can get a little…overprotective. Did he actually use a spell?”

            She shook her head, still looking sullen.

            “Then perhaps you should simply continue on about your day,” Severus said darkly.

            She squeaked and ran off.

            Severus gave Remus a strange look and then turned and continued on his way. Remus hurried to catch up with him.

********************************

            Harry asked Colin to give Neville a message asking him to meet Harry in the library.

            Harry was sitting in the corner of the library where he and Neville and Blaise liked to study when Neville came in.

            “Harry? What are you doing?” Neville asked as he walked up to the table Harry was sitting at.

            “Well, I was ambushed by Ginny when I came down from the dorm room to find you and had to be rescued by the Creeveys. I thought it would be safe for me to wait here. I’m just glad Ron and Hermione are in Hogsmeade on a date.” Harry shuddered at the thought of having to deal with those two in addition to Ginny. “Anyway, are you ready? It’s almost time to go.”

            Neville nervously smoothed down his robes and nodded. “Yeah, I guess I’m ready,” he said and then swallowed hard.

            Harry nodded. He was a little nervous too, but mostly he was excited. He rubbed the ring on his wand hand with his thumb. He had never worn jewelry of any kind before so he was surprised at how quickly he had gotten used to wearing it. He was even more surprised that no one had noticed yet.

            Harry took a deep breath and stood. He didn’t want to be late for his date. From the way the Slytherins had talked the other night, they had made big plans for today and Harry was looking forward to finding out what Draco had planned.

            “Let’s go,” Harry said.

******************************

            Harry and Neville arrived before their dates and chose to wait under a tall tree just out of sight of the two amorous couples closer to the pitch. They hadn’t been waiting long at all when the Slytherins arrived.

            Blaise looked slightly panicked. “You haven’t been waiting long, have you?”

            Neville shook his head. “We just got here. What’s that?” He looked at the basket Blaise was holding.

            Blaise smiled. “I’ll show you in a little bit.”

            Harry smiled at Draco, who held a similar basket. “Do I have to wait too?”

            “You do,” Draco said. “But the sooner we get going, the sooner you can find out what’s in the basket.” He smirked.

            Harry laughed and walked over and looped his arm through Draco’s. “Well, let’s go then.” He smiled at Neville and Blaise.

            Neville gave Harry one last nervous look before he and Blaise headed off in the opposite direction.

****************************

            Harry and Draco walked for nearly half an hour before Draco finally stopped. Harry hadn’t minded as they had spent the time talking. It had been strange how easy it was. Then again, it is rather difficult to be obsessed with someone for nearly seven years and _not_ know a lot about that person.

            When they stopped, Harry looked around curiously. They had stopped at the edge of a large meadow surrounded by some of the tallest trees Harry had ever seen. He was certain most of them were twice the height of the goal posts in the Quidditch pitch. The meadow was a patchwork of snow and grass.

            “In a few months, the field will be filled with a lot of different flowers,” Draco said, watching Harry look around. When Harry smiled at him, he smiled and tugged on the Gryffindor’s hand.

            When they reached the other side of the field, Draco reached into the basket he was carrying and pulled out a blanket, which he quickly spread out on the ground. Standing back to admire his work, he gestured at the blanket.

            “Sit,” Draco said.

            Harry sat, careful to keep his shoes off the blanket. After a moment, he slipped his shoes off and put them to the side so that he could sit more comfortably. Draco sat the basket in the center of the blanket and sat on the opposite side of the blanket from Harry. He also took his shoes off.

            “Now, I believe you wanted to know what was in here?” Draco asked smugly.

            Harry laughed and watched as Draco opened the basket and began to set out plates of food. Harry’s eyes went wide when he realized what was in the basket.

            “A picnic?’ Harry asked in surprise.

            “Not just any picnic,” Draco said haughtily. “You are picnicking with a Malfoy.”

            Harry laughed and leaned over to kiss Draco on the cheek.

            The meal passed as pleasantly as the walk to the field. They talked and teased a bit. They touched a lot: small could-have-been-an-accident touches. When the main meal was finished, Draco put the dishes back into the basket and then brought out a feast of treats from Honeydukes.

            Harry learned Draco had a huge sweet tooth and was particularly fond of chocolate. The way the blond savored the sweets nearly had Harry pouncing. Every bite of chocolate was rewarded with a moan of pleasure.

            Draco had a similar problem when he discovered that Harry liked to spend a lot of time eating his Sugar Quill. Instead of biting into the hardened sugar candy as most do, Harry licked and sucked on the candy. The things Harry was doing with his tongue were absolutely indecent.

            By the time the treats were gone, both boys were in quite a state. Sitting on a blanket in the forest with no one around…it was difficult for them to restrain themselves. However, Draco remembered what Blaise had said about first dates and he remembered a few things he had heard over years of seeing his friends and classmates date.

            And, okay, so maybe he wanted a little more than lust; preferably a solid commitment and those three little words. It wasn’t idealistic, romantic nonsense. He just wasn’t about to lose his virginity for what could turn out to be just a fling. Not that he intended to let Harry get away now that he finally had him. And, of course, there was always the chance that Harry could be more easily persuaded into a permanent commitment if they waited.

            Okay, so maybe he wanted to wait until he knew Harry was his for sure. So what?! His virginity wasn’t something he could get back and he just knew it would be absolute _hell_ to know what it was like to have Harry and then see Harry with someone else. He wasn’t necessarily waiting for the wedding night, but…there _was_ a point in the courtship where, if Harry accepted him, Harry couldn’t get out of marrying him. It was a nice little bit of protection against cold feet and skittish brides and grooms.

            While Draco was panicking and trying to rationalize the fact that he wanted to wait, Harry was doing a little panicking of his own. It had just hit him again that Draco didn’t know about his real appearance. What if Draco wasn’t attracted to him when he lost the ‘Potter’ look? And Harry really wanted to do something as important as, well, _that_ for the first time in his real form. Even if he had felt comfortable enough to do that as Harry ‘Potter,’ how would Draco feel after if he found out? Betrayed?

            The screech of a hunting owl startled the boys out of their separate worries. Draco quickly put on his shoes and jumped up. “So, ready for another surprise?” Only the fact that he had perfected the Slytherin mask kept his nervousness hidden.

            Harry smiled up at Draco and put on his shoes and stood. “Another surprise?”

            Draco and Harry folded the blanket and put back in the basket. Then Draco grabbed Harry’s hand and pulled him around the edge of the field. When he stopped he turned to Harry with a smirk and reached behind a tree and brought out a broom. Harry’s eyes went wide and his gaze flicked from the broom to the field and back to the broom.

            Draco smirked and brought out a second broom. “How about it, Potter?”

            Harry grinned and took one of the brooms from Draco.

            In the air they teased each other over the sound of the wind rushing past. Draco taught Harry a form of tag played on brooms and then for a while they just enjoyed flying. They enjoyed their time in the air so much that a couple of hours passed unnoticed.

            When they finally landed, flushed and laughing, Draco checked the time and was startled to notice that they had to leave soon.

            Harry laughed and threw his arm around Draco’s shoulders. “That was great, Draco! I’ve never had so much fun!”

            Draco’s heart beat faster at having Harry so close. He also felt quite smug at Harry’s words. “We’ll have to do it again some time then,” Draco said.

            “I hope you mean another date,” Harry said, leaning in to whisper into Draco’s ear. He felt Draco shiver and smiled.

            Draco turned his head to tell Harry that that was exactly what he had meant, but when he saw how close Harry was he leaned closer and touched his lips to Harry’s.

            The kiss started slow. Lips met once, twice and then parted for a breath. Lips met again and the kiss deepened. Tongues tangled together and they both dropped their brooms as they turned to one another. Their arms slid around each other and they held each other tightly.

            As hot as it was, the kiss remained slow and sensual. Where the kisses in the infirmary had been intense and had quickly escalated into…more, this kiss was more a thorough exploration. There was passion, but it was kept in check. They both wanted more than just passion and they weren’t willing to rush what was happening between them.

            The kiss ended and they were both breathless. Harry gave Draco a gentle smile and they both stepped back. The brooms were picked up and put into the basket, which was much bigger inside than it appeared. They held hands as they walked back to Hogwarts, not talking just letting a comfortable silence settle between them.


	23. Neville

            Three days after Valentine’s Day, Severus stormed into his office. He was in no mood to grade the essays on his desk and he went about the room picking things up and slamming them down in the guise of looking for something.

            “Something wrong?”

            Severus spun around and pointed his wand at the source of the question before he registered who had asked the question. Scowling, he lowered his wand. “What are you doing in here?”

            Sitting in a comfortable chair in the corner of the office was Harry. He had one leg thrown over the arm of the chair and a book in his lap. He had obviously been there for a while. “We bumped into each other in the corridor earlier and you gave me detention,” Harry said.

            Severus glared. “No we didn’t.”

            Harry turned a page in his book. “No, but Ron and Hermione don’t know that.”

            Severus rolled his eyes and turned back to taking his anger out on his office. With his back to Harry he said, “The Headmaster asked me to start working on a potion. It seems you and Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger are going to be…getting even closer after your NEWTs.” When Harry said nothing, Severus slammed down a book he had just picked up. “Dumbledore said you were quite eager to go through with the ritual.”

            “He lied. I was far from eager.”

            Severus paused. “But you still agreed to go through with the ritual?”

            “I told him I would.” Severus heard the sound of a page being turned. “I lied too.”

            Severus turned and looked at Harry with one brow raised.

            Harry looked up from his book. “There’s no way I’m going through with that ritual with Ron and Hermione.” Harry made a face of disgust.

            Severus turned his back on Harry once more, but this time he began to straighten up the mess he had caused. Several minutes of silence passed. Once the office was back in order, Severus sat down behind his desk.

            “I am surprised to find you in my office,” Severus said casually. “I would have thought you would be visiting the wolf.”

            Harry looked up from his book and frowned. “With Dumbledore always sending Remus off on missions, we hadn’t really had much chance to spend time together and letters can only do so much. It’s nice seeing him again. I usually visit him in the afternoon after my classes are done for the day.” Harry tilted his head. “You usually give me detentions in the evenings between dinner and curfew.”

            Severus just scowled and pulled a stack of essays in front of him.

            “So,” Harry said, “I heard you and Remus spent the day together at the Three Broomsticks Valentine’s Day.”

            Severus gave the essay on the top of the pile a vicious glare. “The headmaster was in a particularly sadistic mood when he decided who was to chaperone the students.”

            Harry raised an eyebrow when Snape said nothing more.

            Severus, still glaring at the essay in front of him, said, “And how did you spend the day? With Blaise Zabini?” He would have hesitated to bring up the subject after seeing Blaise with Draco, but he had heard some rumors…

            “Blaise?” Harry asked in surprise. Then he blushed as he realized this was the first time he had spoken privately with Snape since the man had walked in on him and Blaise in the bathroom together. “Oh.” He cleared his throat. “Uh, about what you saw at Blaise’s house…”

            Severus looked up and raised a brow at Harry.

            “It wasn’t what it looked like. Blaise is just a friend. Actually, he’s interested in someone else.” Harry ran a hand through his hair. “Valentine’s Day we both had dates.” Harry shrugged.

            He hoped Snape didn’t ask who he had gone out with. Snape might not care that he was dating Draco, he was after all friends with Draco’s father, but it was still a strange thought to confide in Snape. Besides, just because Snape and Lucius Malfoy were friends didn’t mean Lucius would be okay with him dating his son.

            Hell, Lucius was the one to set up the arranged marriage deal with Draco and Pansy. For all Harry knew Draco’s father didn’t know Draco was gay and would have a problem with it if he found out.

            Severus raised his other eyebrow. Apparently the rumors were true. He sucked in a sharp breath as he noticed something glint on Harry’s hand he reached for his book again. It was a ring in Gryffindor colors.

            Severus might only be a halfblood, rather than a pureblood, but he had been friends with Lucius for nearly all of his life. He was quite familiar with pureblood traditions. He knew quite well what that ring represented.

            Severus resisted the urge to wince and moan. The rumors were true. Harry had spent Valentine’s with _Neville Longbottom_. And the clumsy pureblood Gryffindor was courting his son.

            _Longbottom. Why did it have to be **Longbottom**?_

*************************************

            “Harry!”

            Harry winced at the feminine gasp. Turning, he was careful to keep his face from showing any of the impatience or annoyance that he felt. “Ginny?”

            Ginny ran across the common room and grabbed Harry’s hand. “Harry?! What is this?!”

            Harry looked at his ring and feigned confusion. “What? What’s wrong?”

            “Harry, what is this?!” Ginny repeated, her voice rising with anger and hysteria.

            Harry blinked and played innocent. “It’s a ring, Ginny.”

            Ginny took several deep breaths. Harry was raised by muggles. He didn’t have any idea what it would mean. Besides, Harry is a _man_. No one would court him. Was someone trying to trick him? “Harry, where did you get this ring?”

            Harry thought quickly. “It was a Christmas gift. Why?”

            Ginny frowned. “A Christmas gift? But Harry it’s February and I’ve never seen you wear it before.”

            Harry shrugged. “I’ve never worn jewelry before so I put off wearing it, but it just seemed rude to never wear it.”

            Ginny continued to frown. “Who gave it to you?”

            Harry frowned. “Geez, Ginny. What’s up with the interrogation?”

            Ginny gasped suddenly as a thought struck her. She had heard the rumors about Harry spending Valentine’s with Neville, but she had thought he had only done so because they had both been alone and were commiserating. But Neville was a pureblood, one of only a few pureblood Gryffindors and one of only two male pureblood Gryffindors of their year. This courting tradition could only be initiated by a man and since she knew _Ron_ would never court Harry, it could only mean that Neville was the one to give him the ring.

            And Harry had no idea what was going on. She knew he had no interest in men. She had, after all, dated him.

            “Ginny?”

            Ginny snapped out of her thoughts. Harry was looking at her in concern. Good. She would have to remember that; it would be useful later. But for now… “I’m sorry, Harry. I suddenly don’t feel so well. I think I’m going to go lie down.”

            Harry never noticed the hard look that came to her face as she turned away. Still, he felt uneasy over her sudden change in demeanor.

************************************

            Over the next few weeks, Harry fell into a new routine.

            He and his ‘study group’ met regularly in secret. Now, Draco joined Harry, Neville and Blaise and it was a surprisingly good mix. Draco still gave Blaise the occasional hard look, but with Neville there and the way those two focused on each other the blond really didn’t worry too much.

            Harry also made it a new habit to meet Remus after classes nearly everyday. They would have tea and just talk about their days. Harry had told him about his date with Draco though he didn’t mention the ring. Remus never brought the subject up either which surprised Harry. Then again, perhaps Remus thought Draco had explained it to him.

            In the evenings, Harry often had detentions. After the fight McGonagall had witnessed before the unexpected break and the still seemingly extremely vicious exchanges between Harry and Severus no one even thought twice about the almost daily detentions.

            Harry and Severus continued to cautiously build a relationship between them. During their ‘detentions’ Severus would continue to teach Harry spell alteration and creation. Sometimes they just sat in Severus’ office in silence and worked on their research or homework and grading essays. Harry refined his invisibility spell and Severus continued to work on the problem of the binding spells on Harry.

            In the three weeks since Valentine’s Day, Harry did not, however, have another date with Draco. One day after the study session had ended Harry expressed his frustrations to Neville.

            “I don’t get it, Nev!” Harry said. “It’s been three weeks! I know we both had a great time. He even said he wanted to go on another date, but now every time I try to bring it up he changes the subject!”

            “Well, he hasn’t given you your gift yet, has he?”

            Harry frowned. “What?”

            “Harry, in this courting tradition, there are rules. Until you accept the gift that is supposed to represent the first date, he can’t ask you on a second date.  And if, at any point, you refuse any of his gifts it means you are refusing his suit and he can’t ask you on any more dates. The gifts are important representations of the courtship, Harry. The ring symbolized his right to court you. By accepting the ring, he can court you, but until you accept the gift representing your first date…it’s kind of like you have to accept him at each stage.”

            Harry frowned but nodded. “Okay, but why won’t he at least talk to me about another date?”

            “Well, maybe he’s waiting until he presents you with your gift to ask you on your next date,” Neville said reasonably.

            Harry sighed and nodded.

            Neville frowned. “Harry, can I see your ring again?”

            Harry held out his hand as they kept walking. “You know, I would have thought a lot more people would have commented on my ring, but not that many people seem to notice.”

            “Well, this courting tradition can only be initiated by a man and after Cho Chang and Ginny most people figure you are completely straight. The ring _is_ nice enough that it could have just been a gift. And of course only the oldest wizarding families would be familiar with this tradition anyway.”

            Neither boy noticed the redheaded witch that stood further down the corridor watching them and they had no idea that the way they were positioned made it seem to the witch that they were holding hands.

*************************************

            The next morning, Harry got up early as always. He noticed that Neville’s bed was empty. This had happened a couple of times before as Neville was an early riser so Harry knew the other boy would be waiting for him in the common room so that they could go down to breakfast together.

            When Harry reached the common room he did, indeed, find Neville. However, the boy was not sitting in his favorite chair by the window. He was instead lying on the rug in front of the fireplace and he was badly injured.

            Harry rushed over and saw that Neville looked even worse than Blaise had that first night he had visited the Slytherin in the infirmary. Harry gasped when he saw a pool of blood and then a determined look came to his face.

            As it was more important to get his friend to the infirmary than anything else, Harry didn’t bother alerting anyone. He simply levitated his friend and rushed down to the infirmary with him.

            Madam Pomfrey was shocked to see them, but she quickly set to work on helping Neville. She was not at all pleased to hear what had happened or at least to hear as little as Harry knew about what had happened. She shooed Harry out and told him to not even bother returning to visit until the following day. Neville was that seriously injured.

            Harry went down to breakfast in a grim mood. He didn’t even eat, though he pretended to as he waited for Blaise and Draco to show up. When they arrived, Harry discreetly indicated they needed to talk and then left.

            Harry had only been in the library a few minutes before the two Slytherins had joined him.

            When Harry had told them what had happened to Neville, he realized Blaise could be quite dangerous. The look on the Slytherin’s face when he heard what had happened to his boyfriend was almost frightening. Draco, while not as close to Neville, still took the news personally. Neville was his best friend’s boyfriend and his boyfriend’s best friend.

            Harry even took a wary step back when he told them that Neville was so badly injured that Madam Pomfrey told him to not even bother visiting until the next day. Blaise looked murderous.

            “I was thinking we could visit him tonight and see how he’s doing. Maybe he can tell us something about what happened,” Harry said.

            “It has to be a Gryffindor,” Blaise said coldly. “If you found him in the Gryffindor common room, it couldn’t have been anyone else.”

            Harry nodded. “I had thought of that. I plan on keeping an eye out for anyone acting strangely to news about Neville. In fact, I think I will go back to the Great Hall and see if I can’t find anything out.”

***********************************

            Harry sat down between Ron and Hermione. He had barely managed to answer Lavender’s concerned question about his mood when Ron and Hermione started in on him.

            “I can’t believe you would keep something like this from your best friends, Harry,” Hermione said in her usual stuck up tone.

            Harry gritted his teeth. “I thought it a little more important to get Neville to the infirmary, Hermione, than-”

            She sniffed and waved her hand. “No, no. I meant about you and Neville. I mean, he is the one who gave you that ring isn’t he?” she asked pointedly.

            Harry glared. “Hermione, what are you talking about? Like I told Ginny, it was a Christmas gift. I just didn’t wear it sooner because I’m not used to wearing jewelry.”

            “Oi, and what about spending Valentine’s with him then?” Ron asked belligerently.

            Harry turned his glare to Ron. “Ron, what are you suggesting? That I’m dating Neville?”

            “Are you?” the redhead asked stubbornly.

            “Of course I’m not dating Neville! What, in my admittedly limited dating history, would make you think I would go out with _Neville_?! And shouldn’t you two be a little more concerned over who attacked him in our common room?!” Harry didn’t even wait for an answer. He just stood up and walked out of the Great Hall.

**********************************

            That day Harry told Remus and Snape both about the attack on Neville. Remus was sympathetic and angry and he agreed to try to find out what he could.

            Severus, still thinking that Neville was the one to give Harry his ring, was angry on Harry’s behalf and their lesson that night turned to teaching Harry spells Severus had found useful in gathering information in his years as a spy.

            That night, Harry went down to the infirmary grimly determined to find out what had happened to Neville. He met Blaise and Draco at the doors to the infirmary and nothing was said as they entered. Harry quickly spotted Neville. He was in ‘Harry’s’ bed. Apparently Madam Pomfrey used Harry’s bed for the seriously injured students. It would certainly explain why Harry was kept in the same bed almost every single time he had been in the infirmary.

            The three of them hurried over. Harry rushed to Neville’s bedside. He turned when he heard a strangled gasp behind him. Turning, he saw Blaise and Draco standing at the gap in the curtains. Blaise looked horrified, sick and furious all at once. Draco looked surprised at the extent of Neville’s injuries.

            “Harry?”

            Harry turned back to the bed when he heard the weak, raspy voice call out. “Neville! Hey, how are you?”

            Blaise walked around the other side of the bed and gently reached out and grabbed Neville’s hand. “Hey, Nev,” he said quietly.

            Neville gave Blaise a small smile. “I’m doing okay.” He winced as he tried to sit up. Blaise growled and reached over to help.

            Once Neville was propped up on a couple of pillows, Harry asked, “Nev, what happened?”

            Neville took a deep breath and winced again. Harry almost winced too when he saw Blaise’s jaw tighten as if he was gritting his teeth and the murderous look came to his face again.

            “Well, I had gotten up before you, Harry, and I decided to wait in the common room for you so we could go to breakfast together. I was in the common room walking over to my favorite chair when a hex hit me in the back. I don’t know what it was, but I guess it was supposed to knock me out. While I was lying on the floor a little dazed, I heard her start talking.”

            “Her?’ three voices echoed.

            Neville swallowed and nodded. “It was Ginny,” he whispered.

            “Ginny?” Harry asked in horror.

            “That bitch!” Blaise hissed out between clenched teeth.

            “What did she say?” Draco asked, coming to stand beside Harry. “Did she say why she hexed you?”

            Neville shot Harry a sympathetic, apologetic look. “She said Harry belonged to her and nobody was going to get in her way.”

            Draco did a little growling of his own at that.

            “I’m so, so sorry, Neville,” Harry said wearing a pained expression.

            “It’s not your fault, Harry,” Neville said.

            He sighed, closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He ran a hand through his hair as he muttered to himself. “And I thought the love spells were bad.”

            “Love spells?!” Draco asked. “What love spells?!”

            Harry winced. “Did I say that out loud?”

            “Yes, you did. Now, what love spells?” Draco demanded.

            Harry sighed. “Ginny has tried to use…some powerful love spells on me. She’s tried it twice that I know of.”

            “Wow. Good thing you are immune to those kind of spells, Harry,” Neville said in a shaky voice.

            Harry winced but said nothing.

            “Harry?” Draco demanded.

            “I’m…not quite completely immune to love spells, it seems,” Harry muttered.

            The other three looked at him in horror. Harry shifted uncomfortably.

            “That’s why you went from treating her like a little sister to dating her,” Neville said in dawning understanding.

            Harry looked away from them and cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. But it seems my heightened resistance to dark spells _was_ working though. The spell wasn’t supposed to wear off, but apparently a part of me fought it every step of the way and eventually I was free of it. That’s when she tried again, but it didn’t work.”

            “Harry,” Blaise said in a carefully neutral tone. “Did you…? Did the two of you…? I mean while you were under the influence of the spell, did you…?”

            Harry turned back and looked at him in confusion for a second before he suddenly understood. He shuddered in disgust. “No, thank god. Apparently there doesn’t exist a strong enough love spell to get me to sleep with her because god knows she tried enough times to-” He broke off as he saw the look on Draco’s face.

            It was very similar to the look of murderous rage that Blaise had worn at the sight of Neville’s injuries. The only difference was that Draco’s look was, as impossible as it seemed, even more intense.

            Harry cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject. “So, what did the professors say when you told them it was Ginny?”

            Neville shook his head and allowed the change of topic. “I didn’t tell them. I just told them I was knocked out when the first hex hit me. I didn’t want to risk them finding out about…” Neville waved his hand around the room indicating the four of them.

            Harry nodded. “Probably a good idea.”

            While the two Gryffindors were talking the Slytherins exchanged hard looks. Harry looked up in time to catch part of the silent exchange.

            “Draco, Blaise, you can’t kill her,” Harry said, partly in alarm and partly in amusement.

            “Of course not,” Draco drawled. “She can hardly suffer if she’s dead.”

            Blaise smiled. It was a cold, hard smile. “And she has plenty of suffering to do.”

            At that, it was the Gryffindors’ turn to exchange looks. Almost as if it had been said out loud, the unspoken message was clearly communicated: _Well, we **are** dating Slytherins. What else should we expect?_

            Harry shook his head. “At least try to be discreet. If anyone starts getting suspicious about us it will make it much harder for us to meet up.” He suddenly grinned and kissed the tip of Draco’s nose. “And we wouldn’t want that, now would we?”

            The three of them visited for a little while longer with Neville and then they left to let him get some rest.

**********************************

            It was a full week before Neville was released from the infirmary and in that time Ginny did, indeed, suffer. It seemed that Draco and Blaise had gotten the whole of Slytherin House to go after her.

            Mostly the Slytherins used hexes that were meant to annoy or humiliate her like tripping hexes or a shrinking hex on her clothes. That last had her rushing from her Gryffindor/Slytherin Transfiguration class. She nearly didn’t make it to the bathroom before her clothes split at the seams and she was completely naked, something Moaning Myrtle found to be completely hilarious.

            Harry was a bit surprised. He had thought that Blaise and Draco would try some more dangerous hexes. However, when she landed in the infirmary with a broken arm the day Neville was released (she had fallen down the stairs on her way to her Potions class) Harry realized the two were just biding their time so that Neville didn’t have to be in the infirmary with her.

            It had been difficult for Harry to explain to Remus and Snape about Ginny. He could tell Remus about Ginny thinking he was going out with Neville but not about the love spells. Snape knew about the love spells but didn’t know about the situation between Blaise and Neville and Harry and Draco.

            He felt guilty, but in the end he told them both a half truth. Remus was left with the impression that Blaise was the only one taking revenge on Ginny while Snape was left with the impression that Blaise had found out about the love spells and was angry on behalf of his friend and that Ginny was jealous about the time he was spending with Neville.

            Severus, on hearing Harry’s carefully worded explanation on why Miss Weasley had hexed Neville Longbottom, simply nodded. He was a bit disgruntled that Harry did not tell him about his relationship with Longbottom, but he conceded that his past treatment of Longbottom might be to blame for that.

            A couple of days after Neville was released from the hospital, Harry and Draco gave Neville and Blaise some time alone and sat together in a different part of the library for their study session. As always, the four were quite careful to keep others from seeing them together.

            As Harry took his seat across from Draco, he thought of their first date. He had had a great time and he was really looking forward to another. Hopefully some time soon.

            With a start, Harry realized it had been exactly one month ago to the day since their last date. He smiled wistfully as he remembered the antics of many girls at Hogwarts. The one month anniversary is an important part of a relationship from all indications.

            He remembered Ginny had gone a whole week without speaking to him when he had spent their one month anniversary playing Quidditch with Ron and her other brothers. In fact, looking back Harry thought he might not have even said one word to her the whole day. He hadn’t had any idea it had been their anniversary and he had actually been rather annoyed with her that day.

            He was snapped out of his thoughts when Draco cleared his throat nervously. Harry looked across the table and saw Draco fiddling with his quill. He cleared his throat again. “Is something wrong, Draco?”

            Draco looked up and glared before he seemed to catch himself. “No, no. Nothing’s wrong. I just-” Draco broke off and frowned at Harry for a moment and then he leaned over and reached into his bag. When he straightened, he had a small white box in his hand similar to the one Harry’s ring had been in.

            Harry’s eyes widened as Draco reached across the table to set the box in front of him. He looked over at Draco to see the blond looking down, watching his hands twirl his quill around and around. After a moment of silence, Draco looked up.

            “Are you going to open it?” Draco asked.

            Harry heard the nervousness, but also the thread of fear underneath. He remembered what Neville had said. Any rejection of the gifts signaled a rejection of Draco‘s suit. Not that rejecting the gift had even entered his mind. His hands reached out and he picked up the box. Slowly, he removed the lid and looked inside.

            Harry lifted his gaze and looked Draco in the eyes, giving him a blinding smile. “Draco, it’s beautiful.”

            And it was. There was a necklace of a simple silver chain lying on the satiny cushion in the box. The necklace had a clear crystal pendant in the shape of a quill.

            Draco flushed a little and said, “Sugar quills seemed to be your favorite treat from Honeydukes.” He cleared his throat. “It’s a protective charm. The necklace has a cloaking spell weaved into it. The necklace will prevent anyone from being able to pick up the magic in any charms on it. It, um, has a spell on it to keep it from breaking or being stolen also.”

            Harry gave Draco another bright smile. “It’s great.” Harry took the necklace out of the box and slipped it on over his head. The chain wasn’t long at all, but Harry could just slip it under his collar.

            The pleased smile Draco sent him almost knocked Harry out of his chair. “So, I was thinking maybe we could go out again sometime,” Harry said casually. “I know I really enjoyed our date.”

            Draco smirked. _Take that you Weasel-bitch!_ He quickly turned his mind away from that train of thought before a scowl darkened his face and he gave Harry the wrong idea. “I enjoyed it as well. I was certainly looking forward to another.”

            Harry smiled at Draco’s smug tone. “How about tonight? Think you could sneak out and meet me by the door to the courtyard?”

            Draco nodded. “What time?”

            “Around midnight?”

            “I’ll meet you there.”

*************************************

            After study session in the library, Harry and Neville were heading for their next class while the two Slytherins headed in the opposite direction. As soon as they were out of sight of the Slytherins, Harry pulled Neville into an alcove behind a statue.

            “Harry?”

            “Look! Draco just gave this to me. We have another date tonight,” Harry said excitedly as he pulled his new necklace from his shirt. He was a little amused that he had gone from never wearing jewelry to suddenly wearing both a ring and a necklace. He rather hoped the next gift wasn’t a bracelet. That would just start making him feel a little girly.

            Neville gasped when he caught sight of Harry’s necklace. “I don’t believe it!” he said breathlessly. “He really is following the old tradition!”

            Harry blinked. “What?” That wasn’t quite the reaction he had been expecting.

            Neville continued looking at the necklace almost in awe. “Harry! Don’t you-?” Neville blinked. “Oh, right. You were raised by muggles.”

            “Well, what is it, Neville?”

            “Well, you remember when I gave you an example of what kind of gift Draco might get you? I talked about a necklace with a flower pendant?”

            Harry nodded and then blinked down at the necklace.

            “The reason I used that example was because, under the oldest form of this courting tradition, the man who initiated the courtship is supposed to _make_ the gifts he gives. Specifically, after the first meeting he makes a necklace and a charmed pendant that represents the first meeting. The flower pendant in my example.

            “The amount of effort he puts into making the gift is supposed to represent the amount of effort he will make in the relationship. Thus, the level of workmanship represents his promise for the relationship. A hastily made gift with weak spells and numerous flaws would represent, well, a weak, flawed relationship.

            “And Draco took a long time working on this and even I can tell the spells are far from low level spells. He’s really putting a lot of effort into this, Harry. From now on, you’ll probably get a new charm for each date and Draco will want to add the charm to the necklace while you are wearing it. If you let him, you are saying you trust him.”

            Harry shook his head, a little dazed. “So much symbolism and meaning in every little action.”

            “Of course. It’s a courting tradition, Harry. And Draco is using one of the oldest forms of one of the most romantic traditions,” Neville said. He gave Harry a shy smile. “He really is putting a lot of effort into this for you,” he repeated.

            Harry blushed and looked down at his necklace. “You said he’s using one of the oldest forms?”

            Neville nodded. “The form of the tradition that requires the man to use his magic to make the gifts he gives was used less often when it became easier and easier to purchase a wider variety of gifts and such. It takes a lot of work to make that,” Neville nodded to the necklace Harry was wearing, “and not a lot of people are willing to put in the time and effort. Not to mention that some might not be strong enough to create the gift they want to give.”

            “Wow,” Harry murmured, lightly stroking the crystal charm. Then he frowned. “Neville, is there anyway I can show him what this relationship means to me?”

            Neville frowned and shook his head. “That’s not the way it works, Harry. He’s _courting_ you. That means he’s trying to win you. The only thing you can do to make it clear you want him too is to accept each of his gifts without hesitation and to take pride in the gifts he has given you.”

            Harry gave Neville a small smile. “Like showing off this necklace at the first chance I got?”

            Neville laughed. “Yeah, like that.”

***********************************

            That night, Harry met Draco by the door to the courtyard at midnight. He was nervous. The date he had planned wasn’t anything like their first date, but he really hoped Draco would like it.

            Draco arrived and they stepped out into the courtyard. The night was cool, but thankfully not truly cold. Harry smiled and led the way out of the courtyard. There were no clouds in the sky so though the moon was only a small crescent in the sky, there was enough light to see by.

            They walked across the lawn to the lake. Harry reached out and they walked along the lakeshore hand in hand. They talked quietly and enjoyed the stillness of the night and the beauty of the lake. The fact that they weren’t supposed to be out and could be caught at anytime added a little excitement to the otherwise peaceful night.

            As they stopped for a moment to look out over the lake, Draco inhaled deeply. He was really enjoying himself. The night was quiet and peaceful and he felt a sense of contentment he was quite certain he had never felt before. The closest he came was the walks he liked to take in the extensive gardens at home. He wanted to show Harry the gardens at Malfoy Manor someday. Draco was sure he would love them.

            Draco turned and smiled at Harry. Harry smiled back and then Draco was treated to another one of those slow thorough kisses that gave him that fluttery feeling in his stomach. When Harry pulled back he looked at Draco intensely and Draco felt himself blush lightly for no reason he could think of. Harry gave him another soft smile and then turned and tugged gently on Draco’s hand, continuing their walk.

            When they walked back through the courtyard and went back into the castle, Harry gave Draco a soft, chaste kiss that was barely more than a brush of lips against lips. They shared a smile and parted without any words being spoken.

            As Draco headed back down into the dungeons, he was unaware of the small smile he wore. As far as he was concerned, the second date had been as wonderful as the first. The first date showed that it could be fun and exciting between them, but tonight made it clear that there was something there, something that would last even when the excitement and passion were banked fires.

            Their date tonight, with the wrong person, could have been stiff and awkward or even boring, but with Harry it had been incredibly romantic. The conversation had flowed easily and smoothly between them. Even when they were silent it was a comfortable silence.

            If Draco had been obsessed before, it was nothing compared to what it was like now that he was actually dating Harry. The very thought that he was _dating_ Harry made him feel slightly giddy. Harry was _his_ now. The rest of the world was just going to have to deal with it.

            The strange look the occupant of the portrait guarding the Slytherin common room gave Draco went completely unnoticed by the blond.


	24. Happenings

            Harry blinked sleepily at the fire and tried to wake up. He was in the common room waiting for Neville to come down. He started to yawn, but it ended abruptly as he snickered as he remembered lunch yesterday.

            It had been more than a month since Neville had gotten out of the infirmary and the Slytherins were still going strong in their campaign against Ginny. Just yesterday at lunch, Ginny had just finished making her plate and had picked up her fork when she suddenly sneezed and bright purple snot covered her food and the front of her robes. She had stared at her food for a moment before fleeing the room in tears, Dean trailing after her. It seemed Blaise and Draco were not yet done punishing her.

            Not that Harry objected. No one else was doing it. The professors had attempted to find out who was responsible for the attack on Neville, but eventually they simply labeled it as either a joke gone wrong or an accident and the student responsible was simply too scared to come forward. Personally, Harry didn’t think they tried very hard because they didn’t want to think of a _Gryffindor_ doing something so horrible.

            Harry shook his head and leaned back, one hand coming up to play with his necklace. It was a new habit of his. When he was alone he like to pull it out and look at the charms. He had three now. There was the clear crystal quill, then a dark blue gemstone in the shape of a crescent moon that seemed to be filled with stars when it caught the light and lastly a small round silver disk with the symbols for each of the card suits on it in either onyx or ruby as was appropriate.

            Harry smiled as he remembered what the last one represented.

            One morning, Blaise had pulled him aside and had asked, sounding panicked, if Harry would mind doing a double date. Harry had been curious as to why Blaise seemed so desperate for Harry to say yes. It seemed Blaise was having trouble with his self control and he didn’t want to move too fast with Neville. Harry had had a hard time not laughing, but he had agreed.

            It had actually been a lot of fun. Harry and Neville had brought food and butterbeers and they had all skipped lunch. The four of them had met up in an unused classroom and had spent a couple of hours laughing and joking and trying to build a house of cards. Ever since Harry had mentioned seeing it done in a muggle movie, Blaise and Neville had wanted to try.

            They had restricted themselves from using magic and at first they had tried to build two: Harry and Draco working on one and Blaise and Neville working on another. Eventually all four of them had worked together to build one house of cards.

            “Ready, Harry?” Neville asked from behind him.

            Harry jumped a bit and then laughed. “Yeah.”

**********************************

            Later that day, Harry was walking down a corridor when he saw Blaise coming towards him. The Slytherin was watching his feet as he walked and hadn’t seen Harry. Harry looked around quickly and grinned. They were alone in the little used corridor and there, to the left, was a door.

            Blaise was jerked out of his thoughts when a hand suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him into a dark room. He tripped and fell and someone landed on top of him. He started struggling and the person on top of him gave a satisfying grunt of pain.

            “Damn it, Blaise! It’s me!”

            Blaise stopped struggling. “Harry, what the hell are you doing?”

            “Well, I was trying to get up but you kept knocking me off balance,” Harry said as he managed to stand. He reached down to help Blaise up.

            Blaise, however, was standing on his own and Harry ended up grabbing a thigh rather than a bicep. “Hey!” Blaise said.

            Harry let go quickly and laughed. “Okay, you caught me. I pulled you in here to have my wicked way with you.”

            Blaise rolled his eyes in the dark. “Well, not only am I taken, but I have no interest in spending a few weeks in the infirmary.”

            Harry laughed.

            “Seriously, though, Harry. What’s the deal?” Blaise asked, pulling out his wand and using it to provide some light.

            Harry leaned back against the wall. “I noticed you didn’t seem happy with the letter you got this morning. You didn’t seem to want to talk about it with Neville or Draco, so I thought I would give it a try and see if you would tell me what’s wrong.”

            Blaise frowned and shrugged. “Look, it’s no big deal.” He looked away. “Just a change of plans for Easter break.”

            “Change of plans?”

            “Yeah, it looks like I’ll be spending the break by myself. My mother had to go take care of something.” Blaise shrugged. “I just hate being at my house at this time of year.”

            “Why?” Harry asked softly.

            Blaise wore a pained expression. He thought about it for a long moment, but he had come to trust Harry. “I had a bad experience.” He cleared his throat. “Just between us?”

            “Absolutely,” Harry said.

            Blaise sighed. “One of my mother’s former husbands had a sister with a son about ten years older than me. He went to Durmstrang. Anyway, he had seen this muggle movie somewhere and had done some research project or something on muggle Easter celebrations.” Blaise frowned. “You grew up with muggles, right?”

            Harry nodded. “Yeah.”

            “Every seen a movie called ‘Harvey?’”

            Harry shook his head.

            “Me either, but apparently there’s this six foot tall rabbit.”

            “Um, okay,” Harry said, confused at the direction the conversation had taken.

            “And apparently, muggles believe in this thing called the Easter bunny. A rabbit that goes around delivering brightly colored, strangely decorated eggs.”

            Harry nodded. “Yeah. I know about the Easter bunny.”

            “I was five,” Blaise said.

            “Ooookay,” Harry said, still waiting for the conversation to start making sense.

            Blaise sighed. “I was five and my ‘cousin’ took this stuffed rabbit and used a few spells until it was six feet tall and then he made it jump out of my mother’s night blossoms at me throwing brightly colored eggs.” Blaise kept his expression neutral. “I had nightmares for weeks.”

            Harry bit his lip, trying not to laugh. It wasn’t funny at all what Blaise’s cousin had done to him, but the thought of a six foot tall rabbit jumping out of the bushes throwing eggs…well, actually, Harry rather thought that sight would give him nightmares even at his age. “So you don’t like to be at your house around Easter?”

            Blaise appreciated the lack of laughter in Harry’s tone. He sighed in relief that the other boy wasn’t going to tease him. “Yes.”

            Harry tilted his head and looked at Blaise a moment. Suddenly a thought struck him. “Oh! Hey, this is perfect!”

            “What?”

            “Why don’t you come stay with me? I’ll be honest the house is kinda creepy and needs a lot of work, but it’ll make you think it’s Halloween not Easter,” Harry grinned. “Besides, we hardly get to spend time with just the two of us any more.”

            Blaise raised an eyebrow. “You think you will be allowed to have a Slytherin stay with you?”

            Harry shrugged. “I would be staying by myself so there won’t be anyone around to notice.” He frowned. “Actually, I take that back. Remus might come stay with me, but I know he wouldn’t mind if you came over.”

            For Blaise, it was an easy decision. Not only would he not have to be at his house, but he would get to see the house Harry had wanted to get away from when he had attempted to stay with Blaise. And Professor Lupin was actually pretty cool. “If you think he won’t mind, I’d like that.”

            Harry grinned. “Great. I’ll talk to him about it today and let you know by tomorrow at the latest.”

            Blaise smirked. “Great. Now, are you ready to get out of the closet?”

            Harry batted his lashed playfully. “Only with you.”

            Harry and Blaise left the closet laughing.

            “See you later, Blaise,” Harry said.

            The Slytherin lifted a hand in farewell and they headed in opposite directions.

***********************************

            Severus was walking down a little used corridor. He liked to walk around the castle, it helped him think. That was actually why he roamed the castle at night, not out of some desire to catch students misbehaving. That he did so was merely an added bonus.

            He rounded a corner and came to a stop as he saw a door open and heard laughter. He stepped back into the shadows to watch. His eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline as he watched Harry and Blaise exit what appeared to be a storage closet.

            The two boys were disheveled and Harry’s lips looked a little swollen. They were laughing and the parting words promised they would be meeting up again later.

            Severus could feel a headache coming on. So. Harry was with Blaise during the unexpected break. They at the very least shared a shower. Then, on Valentine’s Day, Blaise was with _Draco_ and Harry was with…Longbottom. Harry was wearing a ring that indicated he was being courted by a pureblood man and the ring was in Gryffindor colors. And yet now, Harry was coming out of a closet with Blaise and both looked disheveled.

            Severus, who had never before paid attention to such things, wondered if all romances taking place within the walls of the castle were as complicated. He was beginning to feel like he was in one of those muggle soap operas Lily used to make so much fun of.

            Severus started as he realized that that was the first time in a long, long time he had thought of Lily without bitterness or pain. It had been decades since he had thought of her so casually. There was still a sense of loss, but…Apparently knowing the past was not what he had always thought and now, having Harry…apparently it was letting old wounds heal. He had also noticed that it seemed like the more time he spent with Harry, the more he came to terms with the past.

            “Severus? Are you okay?”

            Severus blinked and found himself face to face with a concerned werewolf. He had no idea how long he had been standing in the corridor just thinking or how long the werewolf had been there.

            Severus drew himself up to his full height and nodded. “Lupin,” he said and then swept off down the corridor.

***********************************

            Remus walked into his office frowning. He was starting to worry about Severus. He had found the man just standing in a little used corridor looking off into space with one of the most open looks that Remus had ever seen on his face.

            He was so focused on his thoughts of Severus that he jumped when he caught sight of Harry sitting in his office waiting for him.

            Harry looked at Remus curiously. Remus had come into the office looking extremely worried and then he jumped nearly a foot in the air when he saw Harry.

            “Remus? Is everything okay?” Harry asked.

            Remus nodded. “Yes, Harry. You just surprised me. What’s going on? I wasn’t expecting you until later.”

            Harry smiled. “Well, I wanted to talk to you about something and I didn‘t want to wait.”

            “Ah. Well, let me fix us some tea and we can talk.”

**********************************

            That night as Harry was leaving the dungeons after his detention, Blaise pulled him into a side corridor. It was the same corridor that they had met in that night Blaise wanted to make sure Harry would bring Neville into their study sessions, not long after Snape had caught them looking at the book Harry had gotten for Christmas.

            “This seems familiar,” Harry said with a smile.

            Blaise snorted. “So? Did you get a chance to talk to him?”

            “Oh, yeah. Yes, I talked to him and he said it was fine if you wanted to come over. He said he would make sure no one would come over and interrupt us, too. You can’t Floo to my house so Remus was wondering if there would be a problem with him coming to your house to pick you up? He could do a Side-Along Apparition.”

            Blaise frowned. “Yeah. That would be okay.”

            They continued discussing plans and making arrangements.

            Severus, who had left his office after Harry, heard voices and rounded the corner to see Harry and Blaise talking. Their voices were too low for him to hear what they were discussing. He watched for a long moment before deliberately walking past and going to his private quarters. He had a headache relieving potion in his medicine cabinet.

********************************

            The following week Harry was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace at Number 12 waiting for Remus to return with Blaise. He would be waiting by the front door for them, but he had no desire to risk waking that awful painting.

            Harry spun around at the sound of the library door opening. He grinned when Remus walked in with Blaise. “Hey. How’d it go?”

            Remus smiled. “No problems at all.”

            “Damn, Harry. You weren’t kidding when you said this place was creepy,” Blaise said sounding impressed.

            Harry and Remus laughed.

            “You should have seen it before we started cleaning it up,” Remus said.

            Blaise looked at them wide-eyed. “It was _worse_? Is that even possible?”

            Harry and Remus laughed again.

            “Trust me, it’s possible,” Harry said. “Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”

************************************

            Harry and Blaise spent the next couple of days just hanging out. They didn’t have the freedom of going outside as they did at Blaise’s house, but they managed to amuse themselves nonetheless.

            Blaise brought a few more books from his private collection and they spent some time reading. They also spent some time looking through the _Gay Wizard’s Guide_ that Harry had gotten for Christmas, both together and separately.

            They talked a lot and sometimes Remus would join them. Harry introduced Blaise to muggle cooking which fascinated the Slytherin for some reason. Harry shared a look with Remus as Blaise cooked scrambled eggs for breakfast one morning with all the enthusiasm that Arthur Weasley held for all things muggle.

            One the third day of the break, Remus was sitting in the parlor reading, letting Harry and Blaise spend some time alone. Harry and Blaise were in the library arguing over whose turn it was with the _Gay Wizard’s Guide_.

            “Oh, come on, Blaise!” Harry said, laughing. “You’ve had the book for the last two hours!”

            “But I want to finish this chapter!” Blaise said, looking at Harry across the table between them. He was standing and holding the book to his chest.

            “But you said that an hour ago!” Harry said, darting around the table.

            Blaise ran and managed to keep the table between them. “It’s a long chapter!”

            Harry faked running left and then ran to the right. The chase lasted several minutes until Harry managed to end up on the same side of the table as Blaise. He reached out to grab the book and Blaise turned his back to run again. Harry grabbed the Slytherin around the waist and tried to get the book from him. Blaise turned and wiggled and Harry cursed.

            The fight ended suddenly when the door to the library was thrown open and two tall redheads rushed in. All four occupants in the room froze as the two groups caught sight of each other.

            Harry stared at Fred and George, who had rushed into the room wearing unusually serious expressions. They had looked furious before catching sight of him and Blaise. Now they just looked stunned.

            Fred and George were, indeed, stunned to walk into the library at Number 12 and see Harry standing in the middle of the room with his arms wrapped around the waist of a Slytherin that was not blond, not slim and most certainly not Draco Malfoy. If they remembered correctly the muscular boy that Harry was holding was Blaise Zabini.

            Fred and George shared a look.

            “Harry, mate, I don’t think Malfoy would be too happy about this,” Fred said.

            The twins watched the Slytherin pale as a horrified look came to his face and Harry squeezed the other boy.

            “Well, you might have a point. He _was_ rather furious after he caught us in the shower together,” Harry said with a grin.

            Blaise groaned. “Oh god! Harry you _are_ trying to get me killed!”

            Harry laughed.

            The twins shared another look.

            “Oh go ahead and laugh, Harry! But I had nightmares about that for a week,” Blaise said with a shudder.

            Harry frowned. “Really?”

            Blaise rolled his eyes. “Are you telling me it didn’t bother you at all to step out of the shower and see _Professor Snape_ standing there?”

            The twins shared another look. “Snape _and_ Malfoy?” they asked together.

            Harry laughed. “And Lucius Malfoy…and Blaise’s mother.”

            The twins looked stunned.

            Blaise groaned. “Oh god, don’t remind me!”

            “Well,” Harry said, patting Blaise. “At least _she_ didn’t see anything.”

            “No, but after everyone else left I had to sit down and explain. I told her everything,” Blaise said.

            Harry stepped away from Blaise so that he could see his face better. “Everything?”

            Blaise nodded. “Yeah. I forgot to tell you that, didn’t I?”

            Harry snorted. “Um, yeah.”

            The twins shared yet another look and then shook their heads.

            “Harry!” they said together.

            Harry turned to them. They were wearing those serious expressions again. He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

            “And is there anyone else coming?” Remus asked from behind the twins, startling the occupants of the room.

            Fred and George shook their heads.

            “No,” George said. “No one else is coming. We came hear to tell Harry something very important.”

            “And extremely upsetting,” Fred said quietly.

            Blaise shifted uneasily. “I can go if-”

            “No,” Harry said, shaking his head. “You don’t have to go anywhere. What’s this about, guys?”

            When the twins shifted uneasily, Harry suddenly felt sick to his stomach with worry. Those two were never uneasy. “Okay. More generally, what’s it about?”

            “The war,” Fred said.

            “You,” George said.

            Harry thought about it for a long moment, but in the end the deciding factor was that he was tired of having to remember who knew what. “Okay. Here’s what we are going to do. Remus, can you go get Snape? Fred, George can you go get Neville?”

            “Snape?” four voices echoed.

            Harry nodded. He looked at Remus and then at the twins. “It has to do with that thing I haven’t told you yet.” Looking at Blaise, he said, “Trust me.”

            “Alright, then,” Remus said. “I’ll be right back.”

            “Wait!” Blaise said.

            Blaise knew that this house was under the Fidelius charm. That’s why Remus had to pick him up. He also knew Snape was supposed to be a Death Eater. It would be a bad idea to bring that man here if this is where Harry went to be safe.

            When everyone turned to him, Blaise said, “Why don’t we do this at my house?”

            Harry’s brows rose. “Your house?”

            Blaise nodded. “I have more room and my mother is gone.”

            Harry thought about it. “Well, I have to admit, Neville would probably be more comfortable at your house,” Harry said with a smile.

************************************

            Severus was in the study at Malfoy Manor with Lucius discussing the progress he had made on the binding spells on Harry when the doorbell rang. The men ignored it and continued with their discussion. However, a few moments later Narcissa came in and interrupted.

            “Severus, there someone here for you,” Narcissa said.

            Severus and Lucius were both surprised. They were not worried since the visitor hadn’t seemed to bother Narcissa, just surprised her.

            Severus stood and frowned. “No one knows I am here.”

            Narcissa shook her head. “He was most insistent.”

            The three of them walked to the entrance hall. Severus stopped in shock. There, at Malfoy Manor, was Remus Lupin.

            “Lupin?” Severus asked incredulously.

            “Severus,” Remus said.

            Severus frowned. The werewolf sounded quite serious. “Lupin, what are you doing here?”

            “It’s a bit of an emergency. It’s about Harry,” Remus said.

            Severus tensed. “What is it?”

            Remus flicked his eyes to the two blondes behind the Potions Master before returning his gaze to the dark haired man. “There’s a meeting. Only a few people have been invited and it’s…located somewhere rather unusual.”

            Lucius walked forward. He knew his friend well enough to know Severus was extremely worried about his son. He walked over to Severus. As Severus turned to him, Lucius noticed the werewolf tensed. He stopped slightly further away than he would have liked. No reason to make the situation more difficult for Severus.

            “Go ahead, Severus. We can finish our talk when you return,” Lucius said.

            Severus inclined his head and started to step outside with Lupin.

            “Actually,” Remus said casually, “you are welcome as well, Lucius. I believe you know where Zabini Estate is.” With that the werewolf turned and headed for the edge of the property so that he could Apparate.

            “What?!” Severus growled and then stormed off after the werewolf.

            Lucius stood there in shock. He quickly shook it off and turned to his wife, trying to hide his worry for his friend. All Lucius could think after that exchange was that something had happened to Harry, most likely that he was now being held prisoner. “I’ll be back later, Cissy,” Lucius said before he Apparated away from the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor.

            Narcissa Malfoy frowned at the spot where her husband had just stood. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed her son, frozen on the stairs. “Draco,” she called. She was not about to be left out of things.

            Draco jerked and turned at the sound of his mother’s voice.

            “Draco, I think it is time I went and visited Victoria. Why don’t you come along and visit with Blaise?”

            Draco’s eyes gleamed. His mother really was the best.

************************************

            Harry waited in the parlor at Zabini Estate with Blaise, Fred, George and Neville. He was quite sure of his instructions to Remus, but the others were very uneasy about it.

            It had occurred to Harry that if he was going to be having this meeting somewhere more accessible than Number 12 he may as well invite Lucius Malfoy. After all, he was Snape’s best friend and most likely another spy against Voldemort. Perhaps not _for_ Dumbledore, but still a spy against Voldemort.

            Besides, if Draco was courting him then the blond had in mind the same goal for their relationship that Harry did and if they got what they wanted…well, then someday Lucius was going to be his father-in-law. Harry may as well start trying to get on the man’s good side now. _The hardest part will be in getting the man to stop pretending he doesn’t have one. Honestly, he’s probably just as bad as Snape._

            Harry snorted at the thought. He laughed outright when all four of the other occupants of the room gave him a look that said they were doubting his sanity.

            “Trust me,” Harry said. “I _do_ know what I’m doing.”

            “And what, exactly, are you doing?” Snape hissed at his most menacing.

            Harry blinked and tilted his head at the man. He seemed a little tense. “Waiting for you to arrive so we could get started.” His eyes moved to the blond standing behind Snape who was standing in the doorway. He snickered. “Does that look familiar to you, Blaise?” Harry murmured, shooting the man in question a teasing glance.

            “Oh shut up,” Blaise hissed back. “You are going _to get me killed_.”

            Harry just chuckled.

            At this the two older Slytherins stepped into the room. From the glares they turned on the man who had been standing behind them and was now walking across the room to join Harry, Harry guessed that Remus had given them a shove. He smothered another laugh.

            Severus and Lucius walked closer to the group gathered close to the fireplace.

            Harry smiled and politely said, “Mr. Malfoy,” when the blond man came closer and raised an eyebrow at him.

            Lucius opened his mouth, but before he could speak a distinct popping sound came from the entrance hall and everyone in the room froze. Before anyone could get over their shock, a figure appeared in the doorway.

            Harry’s eyes widened and he snickered as the petite blond woman regally surveyed the gathered group. The snicker grew into a full out laugh as she looked at him and gave him the same exact expression her husband had moments before: she raised one eyebrow and looked at him expectantly.

            “Please, come in,” Harry said graciously, amusement still clear in his voice.

            “Thank you,” Narcissa said and she stepped into the room.

            Draco was right behind her and he also stopped in the doorway. Everyone but Narcissa watched as his eyes settled on Harry and then he turned a fierce glare on Blaise. Harry suddenly remembered that he and Blaise hadn’t told anyone but Remus that Blaise was coming to stay at Number 12, not even Draco and Neville.

            “ _Going to get me **killed**_ ,” Blaise hissed at Harry, who just snickered again.

            Draco stepped into the room and followed his mother, approaching the group.

            “Harry,” Narcissa said as she and Draco reached the edge of the group.

            Harry’s weren’t the only brows to lift at the witch’s use of Harry’s first name. “Yes?” Harry replied politely.

            Narcissa smiled brightly. “What do you think of white roses?”

            Harry flicked a glance at Lucius Malfoy, but the man obviously had no idea what his wife was talking about either. He returned his gaze to Narcissa and he answered her question. “I think they are lovely.”

            Narcissa smiled even brighter. “Good. I was thinking. It’s a bit late to plan for spring, unless you want to wait until next year, but how about early summer? The garden will still be quite lovely then.”

            Harry just stared at the woman as she walked over and looped her arm through his. The others, sharing Harry’s confusion, look at each other and Blaise and the Gryffindors noticed some unusual reactions.

            Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape stared at the witch in complete horror. Draco was staring at his mother looking stunned.

            Lucius sounded slightly alarmed as he said, “Now, Cissy…”

            The petite blonde witch gave her husband a hard look. “You’ll go to the Parkinsons soon, Lucius,” she said firmly with a hint of warning in her voice.

            Harry gave Snape a questioning look at this exchange. His brows rose as he noticed how pale the Potions Master was. Narcissa patted his arm and brought his attention back to her.

            “Not to worry, Harry. Severus and Lucius have both already agreed,” she said.

            Draco made a strangled sound and abruptly sat down on the arm of an armchair. Harry looked at the two men in question and noticed that Snape was not the only one looking a little pale.

            Harry turned back to the witch on his arm. “Um, already agreed to what?”

            “Why to arranging a marriage between you and Draco, dear! We discussed it and they agreed on Christmas Eve,” she said beaming at the two men.

            Harry was stunned. “What?!” He turned to Snape, who winced.

            Blaise, Fred, George, Neville and Remus were all shocked to see the Potions Master react in such a manner. They were distracted from that extremely unusual sight when Draco moaned. The group turned to him and saw he was also extremely pale. Their attention was jerked back to the older Slytherins when Snape cleared his throat.

            “Harry…” Snape said in a let’s-be-reasonable-about-this tone of voice used when facing someone who is extremely angry with you.

            As one, Blaise’s, Fred’s, George’s, Neville’s and Remus’ jaws dropped open. They had never heard the man address Harry by his first name, to say nothing of the tone of voice he had used when speaking it or the familiarity in his voice.

            Harry blinked at Snape. “You told them?!” Harry asked and then, incredulously, “And arranged a marriage between me and Draco?!”

            “Of course not! I told Lucius. Later, Narcissa was speaking hypothetically and-”

            “Of course I wasn’t speaking hypothetically, Severus. I had overheard you and Lucius talking in the study. That’s why I used the _universa redimio consensio_ charm. The one that is used to bind people to their verbal agreements?” Narcissa asked sweetly. “Your reply was taken as tacit agreement, Severus. We may not have written up a formal agreement yet, but the verbal agreement is still legally and magically binding. And,” she continued, smiling widely, “as there is no _binding_ agreement with the Parkinsons, the verbal agreement the two of you made will take precedence.”

            Lucius and Severus stared at the woman, stunned and horrified.

            The room was dead silent for a moment and then something occurred to Harry.

            “Um, Mrs. Malfoy,” Harry started.

            “Narcissa, dear, or Cissy will do for now,” Narcissa interrupted.

            “Um, right,” Harry said. “Narcissa, I’m seventeen.”

            Narcissa smiled at him. “Yes, dear. So is Draco. But the law says that it is a parent’s right to arrange their child’s marriage up until the time the child turns twenty.”

            Harry blinked. “So…”

            “So you and Draco will be getting married, dear.”


	25. Enemies

            “Cissy, darling, I don’t think they _want_ to marry each other,” Lucius said slightly desperately.

            The witch was prevented from answering by the snickers and laughter that filled the room. The three older Slytherins turned to look at the other occupants of the room. Draco was sitting on the arm of a chair looking pale and stunned. Harry, at the sound of amusement, was staring up at the ceiling as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.

            The _rest_ of the people in the room were staring at them in various levels of amusement. Of course underlying the amusement was shock. Other than Harry and Severus, everyone present was a pureblood and had grown up learning about courtship traditions, arranged marriages and the relevant laws. They were all aware that the only way _Severus Snape_ could have the authority to arrange a marriage on Harry’s behalf was if he was he was Harry’s _father._

            Remus stepped forward and asked the question on everyone’s mind. “How?”

            Harry’s eyes dropped and met Remus’. He took a deep breath. “My mum’s marriage to James Potter was just a marriage of convenience. They were never romantically involved. She had always loved the same person.” Harry gestured to Snape.

            “But then why do you look so much like James Potter?” asked Fred.

            “Yeah, everyone’s always going on about how much you look like the man,” George said.

            Harry gave Snape a glance. The man raised his eyebrow and Harry nodded. Harry took off his glasses as Snape stepped forward and raised his wand. He grimaced as the unpleasant, painful sensations washed through him as the change took place. When he opened his eyes he saw that every single person in the room but Snape was staring at him in shock.

            Draco was brought out of his shock over Harry’s parentage at the sight of the changed Gryffindor. The changes were significant and yet Harry did not look so different that Draco felt like he was looking at a completely different person.

            Harry’s dark hair was no longer a rat’s nest, but was straight as a blade and it looked longer without the curls. His eyes were still the same beautiful green that had captivated Draco from the very first. The changes in his face were subtle and, rather than making Harry look like someone else, they mostly just made him look older and maybe a little more…graceful? Harry now looked his age and he was undeniably handsome.

            The Gryffindor no longer looked half starved but instead had a lean, wiry build that nearly had Draco drooling. Harry was also a few inches taller and his clothes no longer fit quite right. Draco had to swallow when his eyes reached the strip of skin bared by his shirt. There was a two inch gap between Harry’s shirt and his jeans and Draco could see the trail of dark hair starting just under his navel and disappearing into his jeans.

            He felt his face flush as he was reminded of the others’ presence in the room. Fortunately, they were all too busy staring at Harry to notice his reaction. He shifted on the chair arm he was sitting on and subtly adjusted his trousers.

            “Bloody hell!” The twins whispered together.

            “Well, there is certainly no denying he is your son, Severus,” Lucius said.

            Harry was focused on the werewolf in front of him. This man had been the closest thing he had had to a father figurer the past four years. Harry kept a calm expression on his face, but he waited anxiously for Remus’ reaction.

            Remus was stunned at the changes in Harry. He could see the fear in the boy’s eyes, but he was at a loss as to how to reassure him. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the thought of Harry being Severus’ son. He struggled to find his voice. But what the hell was he going to say?

            He wasn’t going to bother asking why Harry hadn’t told him. He could easily see the fear of rejection in Harry’s eyes. It didn’t lessen his hurt, but he could understand. There relationship had started out based on their connections to James Potter. But their relationship had grown far beyond that in the years since.

            “Well,” Remus finally said. Not knowing what to add to that, Remus walked over and gave the boy a hug, whispering in his ear. “You could have told me, Harry.”

            Harry hugged Remus back and grinned at the man when he pulled back.

            Remus noticed the glare that Severus was sending him and grinned at the man. “Don’t worry, Severus. I can learn to share.”

            Severus would have very much liked to put the werewolf in his place and tell him that it was _he_ who would be the one sharing if he was so inclined, but he saw the beaming smile Harry gave the werewolf at the words and he bit his tongue. He settled for giving the wolf his fiercest glare.

            While the two men were having their little showdown, Harry was practically melting with relief. He looked over at Fred and George who were still staring incredulously at him. Somehow, Harry had known he could trust those two to accept him despite the changes.

            “What’s it like, Harry?” Fred asked curiously.

            “Yeah, how does it feel to change like that?” George asked.

            Harry frowned and tilted his head, completely unaware of the shivers that over took the twins and Blaise and Neville at how much he resembled Snape when he frowned. “It’s…it’s kind of like taking off shoes that are three sizes too small only you never noticed until the first time you took them off. The first time I changed it was such a huge relief, like I was finally free. You wouldn’t believe how much more comfortable I am like this.”

            “Well, it’s certainly a good look for you, Harry,” Blaise drawled.

            Harry grinned and put his hands in his back pockets.

            The pose as well as Blaise’s words snapped Draco out of his state of shock and lust. He stood up and gave a soft growl that had Blaise ducking behind the Weasley twins. He marched over, grabbed one of Harry’s arms and dragged him out into the hall, completely ignoring everyone else in the room and missing the looks Severus and his father were sending him.

            The twins watched in bemusement as Blaise moved to keep them between him and Draco. They raised their brows when the Slytherin breathed a sigh of relief when the blond shut the door behind him and Harry.

            “What?” Blaise asked when he noticed the look the twins were giving him.

            Out in the hall, Harry turned nervously to look at Draco as the blond shut the door behind them and set a silencing charm on it. He cleared his throat. “Draco?”

            Draco blinked at Harry. Even his voice had changed slightly. Like his face and body, the change was as if Harry was older; his voice was more like it should be at his age. His voice was a little deeper and that dark, velvety tone Harry got when he whispered in Draco’s ear was much more pronounced. Draco shivered.

            Draco shook off his thoughts and caught the wary look Harry was giving him. “I didn’t know,” Draco blurted. “About the, uh, marriage contract my mother arranged.”

            “Oh,” Harry said. He frowned. “How did she know you don’t hate me? Your father seems to think you do.”

            Draco self-consciously straightened his robes. “Um, Mother was the one who helped me get the ring I gave you.”

            Harry’s eyes widened. So Narcissa had known that Draco wanted to marry him? “You told her you were getting it for me?”

            Draco nodded. “I got her to help me with the spell that would make it look like Gryffindor colors.”

            “Oh,” Harry said. “So that’s why she-did that?” Harry asked, waving his hand in the direction of the room where the others waited.

            Draco nodded. “But you don’t have to worry!” He rushed to assure the Gryffindor. He hardly wanted Harry to feel like he _had_ to marry him. That was the point of the courtship after all. To make him _want_ to marry him.

            Harry frowned at him, confused.

            Draco swallowed. “Well, you see…the ring I gave you was-is-a…it’s part of a pureblood courtship tradition. When I had my mother help me get it she knew I was planning to court you,” Draco said, refusing to admit that the heat he felt across his cheeks was a blush. “And then before I left to go back to Hogwarts after Christmas she said something that didn’t really make sense until just now…”

            “What?” Harry asked as Draco trailed off.

            “Well, basically, what it meant was that the contract would only be effective if you accepted my suit. You don’t have to m-marry me if you don’t want to. Mother made the contract contingent on you, um, accepting my suit. The contract is really just to keep our, uh, fathers from stopping the wedding. If you accept me that is,” Draco said.

            Harry thought about that for a long moment. Narcissa had made sure that he could get out of it if he had wanted. That was so strange. All his life Harry had had to deal with people telling him what to do or ‘strongly encouraging’ him to do things and here was Narcissa Malfoy giving him the choice of whether or not to marry Draco. He wanted to, of course, but still. It was nice to have the choice left in his hands.

            “Draco, your mother is amazing,” Harry said.

            Draco nodded miserably and looked away, blinking rapidly. Apparently, Harry was relieved that he wouldn’t have to marry him. Now that Harry knew that the ring was part of a _courtship_ he was probably going to give it back.

            Harry saw Draco’s reaction and frowned. “Draco, I didn’t mean that I don’t want to be with you. It’s just…I really appreciate it that she left me with the choice, you know?”

            Draco looked back at Harry. “Well, she knew how much I hated the thought of being forced to marry Pansy. She had been trying for years to get me out of it. She wasn’t about to do the same thing to you.”

            Harry smiled brightly at Draco. “And that’s why she’s so amazing.”

            “So…you don’t mind?” Draco asked.

            Harry gave him a slight frown. “Mind what?”

            Draco gestured to the ring Harry wore. “That I didn’t tell you about the courtship thing.”

            Harry smiled. “Draco, I knew about that. Neville told me the night I showed him the ring.”

            Draco just stared. Harry had _known_? And he had still worn the ring? He gave Harry a bright smile.

            Harry nearly fell over at the sight of the smile on Draco’s face. The Slytherin had never given him a smile that open, that obviously happy before. Harry leaned over and brushed a brief kiss across Draco’s lips. “Was that what you were worried about? That I would change my mind about the ring if I knew what it meant?”

            Draco sniffed dismissively and said nothing.

            Harry grinned and then he had a thought and frowned. “Hey, Draco? Why didn’t, uh, our…fathers notice the ring?”

            “Oh, well, Uncle Severus is a professor and I had all professors set to see the ring as Gryffindor colors. My father probably just hasn’t noticed yet with everything else going on.”

            Harry snickered. “Did you see their faces? I think they still thought we hated each other. Would you change it so that they can see the ring the way it is?”

            Draco nodded and performed the spell.

            Harry smiled down at the ring. “Well, we should probably get back in there. Who knows what’s happened in our absence.” Harry frowned. “And we never got around to the reason we are here in the first place.”

            In the room, contrary to Harry’s fears, nothing was happening in their absence. Severus and Lucius just continued to stare at the door while they tried to hide their surprise. The others just stood or sat around without speaking, trying to adjust to what they had just learned. Narcissa just stood with a small, knowing smile on her lips.

            Harry and Draco came back into the room. Harry walked over and sat in one of the comfortable armchairs near the fireplace. Severus and Lucius were again shocked when Draco sat on the arm of his chair. They watched in complete amazement as Draco frowned and reached out to touch Harry’s hair.

            “So,” Harry said. “Now that we’ve all had a nice shock or three, perhaps we should get to what brought us here in the first place.” He smiled up at Draco when the blond ran a hand through his hair.

            Lucius, who would denying it until his dying breath if ever asked about it later, choked on his own spit as he caught sight of the ring Harry wore. “What-is-that?!” he asked hoarsely.

            Everyone turned to him. Severus raised a brow at him and then turned to look at the ring Harry wore…the ring that was now in Slytherin colors and not Gryffindor colors. Severus scowled. “That’s it! I want some answers right now!” he barked out making Blaise, Neville and the twins jump.

            Harry looked a little sheepish. “Ah, to what questions?”

            Severus glared. “First you were caught in the shower with Blaise,” Severus heard the boy in question moan _Did we have to bring that up again?_ and continued, “and then I see Blaise and Draco in Hogsmeade together on Valentine’s Day and I hear that you spent the day with _Longbottom_ and I know that ring used to be in Gryffindor colors!”

            “Um, well…The shower thing was not what it looked like, I swear. Neville and Blaise are going out and the four of us worked to keep people from noticing Gryffindors and Slytherins dating. Despite how it looked, Neville and Blaise spent Valentine’s together and I spent the day with Draco,” Harry said.

            “Draco has been courting you and you two have been dating for months now?” Lucius asked incredulously.

            Draco was the one to answer that. “Yes.”

            Severus and Lucius shared a look and then they looked at the others. They seemed to be the only ones surprised by this. Severus scowled. “And are Lucius and I the only one’s that didn’t know this?”

            “Well,” Harry started apologetically, “I wasn’t sure how Lucius would take it and I didn’t want to put you in the middle.”

            At that the people who had just learned about Harry’s parentage looked at Harry as if he was insane. Even Lucius seemed surprised by that comment.

            Harry cleared his throat. “Now, I think it would be a good idea to try to get back to the reason we are here. Fred, George, you two had something to tell me, right?”

            At that, the crowd turned to find the twins uncharacteristically solemn.  They nodded. “We overheard something you need to hear, Harry,” Fred said.

            “We’re really sorry, Harry,” George said. “I swear Fred and I didn’t know.”

            Harry felt dread sink its claws into his chest. “It’s okay. Just tell me.”

            The twins exchanged a look.

            “We stopped by the Burrow to pick up the last of our things so that mum could clean out our room,” Fred said. “We had left a lot of our early products there, mostly things that didn’t work out.”

            “Well, when we arrived, no one was around so we just headed upstairs and started packing. We had only been there a few minutes when we heard someone come home,” George said.

            “We decided to finish packing before going downstairs. We were going to ask Mum to fix us a snack before we left,” Fred said. “But then after everything was packed, we found one of our old products, a charm that turns a person purple, and we thought we’d see if Ron was home and sneak up on him.”

            “So we sneaked downstairs. We heard Ron and Hermione talking and we listened in. We thought we would hear some lovey-dovey talk we could use for blackmail,” George said. Suddenly he looked furious. “That was not what we heard.”

            Both twins looked furious, but they also looked reluctant to continue. After several moments of silence, Harry softly said, “Fred? George? Just tell me.”

            They shared a look.

            “We won’t repeat what was said word for word,” George said.

            “The summary is bad enough,” Fred said, wearing a hard look that just looked wrong on the prankster.

            “They were talking about you, Harry,” George said. He took a deep breath and quite obviously had to force himself to continue. “Ron and Hermione…Ron and Hermione have been spying on you for Dumbledore,” George said quietly.

            “They’ve been doing it for years and…and they don’t…they don’t really think very highly of you,” Fred said, obviously struggling to find the words.

            “Bastards,” George hissed. “Hermione was…she was never your friend, Harry. Dumbledore talked to her in her first year and promised to help her get a position in the Ministry or as a professor at Hogwarts if she could get close to you and would spy on you. Ron was your friend at first. The first four years he was sincere in his friendship, but after the Tri-Wizard Tournament…he only came back to you because Dumbledore had talked to him and convinced him to spy on you. Apparently, Ron’s getting a nice settlement when he graduates,” George sneered, again an expression that just didn’t sit well on a man known for his love of pranks and jokes.

            “They reported back to Dumbledore everything you said and everything you did. They even said Dumbledore had a tracking spell on the invisibility cloak he left you one Christmas,” Fred. “Apparently, all of your ‘adventures’ have helped you get better at the kinds of things that will help you defeat Voldemort. He’s known about everything Ron and Hermione have helped you with and he never stepped in or anything.”

            Harry felt numb. He didn’t know how he felt about what he had just heard. On one hand, there was some relief. He had been feeling a little guilty for what he saw as betraying his friends after so many years of friendship by suddenly starting to see them as enemies. That guilt was gone now and there was even a little vindication on his part. On the other hand, he was _pissed_ that they had done that to him. And he was furious with that old bastard for further fucking with his life. The binding spells weren’t enough?!

            “There’s more,” George said.

            “We were all set to bust into the room and hex those two into tiny little piles of ashes, but then we heard Mum’s voice and we went to go tell her what we had heard,” Fred said with tightly leashed anger. “We stopped when we heard her talking to someone.”

            “It took us a moment to figure out she was on a firecall…with Dumbledore,” George said. “We listened in on that conversation too. It seems Ron and Hermione weren’t the only ones on that bastard’s payroll.”

            “After Ron became friends with you in your first year, Dumbledore made a little visit to Mum at the Burrow,” Fred said. “He has paid her nicely over the years to…” Suddenly a wave of sadness mixed the fury. “He paid her to be nice to you, to treat you like family,” he whispered.

            “Dad doesn’t know,” George said. “From what we heard, he would be furious if he found out. He’s genuinely fond of you. From what we heard it was just those three.”

            “What about Weaslette?” Draco sneered.

            Fred and George frowned and shook their heads. “We didn’t hear anything about her,” they said together.

            “She could have been working on her own, Draco,” Harry said.

            Severus turned to Harry with a raised eyebrow. “You told him? I’m surprised the girl is still in one piece.”

            “It sort of slipped out after what she did to Neville,” Harry said.

            “What did you tell him, Harry?” Remus asked.

            Harry winced. “Ah, I told him about the two love spells that Ginny used on me.”

            “Love spells?” Fred and George gasped in horror.

            Harry kept his expression neutral and shrugged. With everything that had been said he saw no reason to not explain about the binding spells. He looked at Snape and said, “Would you tell them?”

            Severus inclined his head at the question. He was rather tired of the patchy information he seemed to be working with. It was time for everyone to get on the same page. He briefly explained about the binding spells, going as far back as the trip to Gringotts when he and Harry had found out about their blood connection.

            “As I said,” Severus said when he was done, looking at the furious faces of Draco and Blaise, “I am surprised the girl is still in one piece.”

            The two younger Slytherins gave the Potions Master the same cold, hard smiles they had given Harry that night in the infirmary and told him the same thing. “She can hardly suffer if she’s dead,” they said together.

            Severus nodded at them approvingly. He turned to the Weasley twins, curious about their reactions. They looked angrier than ever before.

            “What the bloody hell is wrong with our family?!” they suddenly shouted together.

            Harry had sudden thought. “Fred, George, did they know you were there? I can’t imagine they would have those conversations without having taken precautions.”

            The twins shook their heads.

            “They set up wards and such, but we were already inside with them so they never went off,” George said.

            “And once we heard what they said, we made sure to keep them from noticing us,” Fred said. “As soon as they took the wards down to keep Dad from noticing when he got home, we went upstairs and took our stuff and left.”

            “If they ask, we had come and gone before they got home,” Fred said.

            Harry ran a hand over his face and sighed. He leaned back in the chair and stretched his feet out, crossing them at the ankles. Without really thinking about it, much less how it would look, Harry laid his arm across Draco’s thigh and rested his hand on the blond’s knee, rubbing lightly with his thumb.

            Severus and Lucius were still trying to adjust to the thought that their sons didn’t really hate each other and were, in fact, dating and courting. Narcissa had to resist the urge to snicker at the way the two men gaped at the younger men. Remus, Fred and George all grinned at the sight. Neville and Blaise didn’t really react. They had gotten used to such sights after all of their study sessions together.

            “Well,” Harry said with a sigh, “I suppose this is both a good thing and a bad thing.”

            “How is this a good thing?” Blaise asked, frowning. “And why are you so calm about this?”

            “Actually, the answer is the same for both questions,” Harry said. “Look, this last year I’ve really started noticing some things I had never noticed before and it has changed my opinion on a lot of things. Ron and Hermione, for instance. This year I’ve noticed the way they stalk me and I’ve become less tolerant of Hermione’s know-it-all, no-element-of-your-life-is-private attitude. Ron’s practically gone out of his way to piss me off it seems like and I’m not making any more excuses for it. I’ve already come to feel like they are, well, enemies considering the way they’ve been acting.”

            “And now you don’t have to feel guilty for that or feel like you are betraying them when you think less than flattering thoughts about them,” Remus said.

            Harry nodded. “And when it comes to Mrs. Weasley…Well, has anyone noticed how often I’ve been left alone this year? How often I’ve been shut up in Number 12 unsupervised? Then the only times I get to see her she’s yelling at me or complaining. Even before that, well, sorry Fred, George, but your mum is something of an acquired taste, you know?”

            Fred and George nodded. “Yeah, there’ve been times we haven’t been able to stand her either,” George said.

            Harry frowned. “You know, I’m wondering if maybe something is going on. It’s a bit hard for Ron, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley to do their jobs if I’m shut up in Number 12 alone.”

            “The ritual!” the twins gasped at the same time.

            Severus scowled. “Of course!”

            “What ritual?” Blaise asked.

            Harry quickly explained about the ritual Dumbledore was pushing Harry to go through with with Ron and Hermione. When he finished, Remus growled, startling everyone.

            “He would dare on top of everything else?” Remus asked.

            “Well,” Severus drawled. “It’s not like he has ever shown any kind of restraint when it comes to what he wants.”

            “What?” Harry asked.

            “It never really made sense that you would need to go through with the ritual, Harry,” Severus said. “Dumbledore’s reasoning was weak at best. But with everything else we have learned, the real reason has become clear.”

            “And that would be?” Harry asked.

            “Harry, the ritual was never meant to be done the way that old man had planned it. If you had gone through it, do you know what would have happened?” Remus asked.

            Harry shuddered. “Yeah, Fred and George told me. There would be no barriers between us.”

            Severus nodded. “Yes, but if those two are his spies against you, it is likely he taught them some form of Occlumency so that only you would be the one at the mercy of the bond. Weasley and Granger would have unrestricted access to both your mind and,” Severus said in an ominous tone, “your magic.”

            Harry sucked in a sharp breath. “So that’s it. That’s what those two are after.”

            “It is also probably why they are leaving you in peace,” Lucius spoke up. “It is only a few months until your NEWTs and the old bastard would know you wouldn’t refuse to participate in the war so he didn’t see any reason to worry about you for a while. After all, you would be under his control soon.”

            Harry scowled. Everyone, including Severus, was startled at how much he resembled the Potions Master. “Bastard.”

            Severus snorted. “Indeed.”

            Harry turned to look at him, a thoughtful look in his eye. “Hey, you said he had asked you to make a potion for the ritual. What would happen if you made a potion that didn’t work?”

            Severus shook his head. “It would be even worse. The potion was to help you keep your sanity during the initial contact of minds.”

            Harry grimaced. “So I’ve got to figure something out before NEWTs.” Harry drummed his fingers on Draco’s knee. He stopped and unconsciously relaxed a bit as Draco ran a hand through his hair. “Mmm.”

            “We definitely need to do something with that old man,” Remus said. “Those spells he used on Harry are inexcusable. They are also incredibly dark spells. Severus, you said you were researching them?”

            “Yes. Actually, I might have found a way to remove the spells without Dumbledore noticing,” Severus said.

            Remus frowned. “I thought that wasn’t possible with this spell.”

            “Normally it wouldn’t be, but with the spell Lily used on Harry to imitate the blood connection to Potter the spell didn’t work the way it should. The binding spell attached itself to the blood imitation spell,” Severus replied. “Because of that, I can remove the spell without killing Harry. I can also remove it without Dumbledore finding out, as I said. However, to do so I would need some specific ingredients that are quite difficult to find.”

            “Can we help?” George asked.

            “Yeah, we work with a lot of people who specialize in that kind of thing,” Fred said.

            “Get some of the material we use to make our products from some rather disreputable people,” George said.

            Severus raised an eyebrow at that. “Perhaps.”

            “I have to say I’m relieved to hear that you’re close to getting these spells off of me,” Harry said, “but we still have to figure out what to do about Dumbledore and his stupid ritual. I can’t outright refuse without risking him finding out I know about the spells or worse. And then there’s Voldemort still to worry about.”

            “Too bad we can’t just portkey them both somewhere remote and have them take care of each other for us,” Remus muttered.

            Harry drummed his fingers on Draco’s knee again. “Hey, Blaise. You said you told your mother everything? She’s not going to mind we are here is she?”

            Blaise shook his head. “No. She might not care for Dumbledore any more than she likes the Dark Lord, but she never really had anything against you.”

            “I wonder,” Harry murmured. “Do you think she’d mind if I stayed here for a while?”

            “You are thinking of not going back to Hogwarts?” Blaise asked in surprise.

            Harry shook his head. “No. I was thinking. If we haven’t figured anything out before NEWTs are over maybe I could get away before Dumbledore notices and I could stay here if your mother wouldn’t mind. No one would ever think to look here for me and it would give us some more time to plan.”

            “That’s actually quite a good idea,” Lucius said in surprise.

            Harry turned to him and raised an eyebrow at him. “Thank you. I might not have been sorted into Ravenclaw, but I like to think I’m not a complete idiot,” Harry drawled.

            “Definitely your son, Severus,” Narcissa said in amusement.

***************************************

            In the end no immediate plans were made other than that Severus would start to collect the ingredients he would need to remove the binding spells. While the Gryffindors were restless at the thought of not having a plan, the Slytherins were unconcerned. They knew that careful planning would be needed and that a hastily constructed plan would likely result in only getting them killed.

            The group stayed at Zabini Estate for the rest of the break. Severus, Lucius and, surprisingly, the twins spent a lot of time together going over the ingredients Severus would need and where he could get them. Narcissa had cornered Remus and was determined to get to know him better. Harry and Draco, as well as Blaise and Neville, spent the time enjoying the privacy that allowed them to be open about their relationship.

            Harry and Draco were in the library sitting together in one of the large armchairs. Harry was enjoying the chance to stay in his natural form and Draco couldn’t keep his hands out of Harry’s hair. Harry loved the feel of Draco running a hand through his hair.

            “I was thinking you could wear silver and I could wear green dress robes,” Draco suddenly said into the silence.

            Harry turned to him. “What?”

            Draco blushed lightly as if he hadn’t intended to say that out loud. “Ah, for the wedding.”

            Harry smiled at him and then blinked and frowned. “You want me to wear silver?”

            Draco frowned. “What’s wrong with silver?”

            Harry shook his head. “I don’t want to wear silver. Why can’t I just wear a tuxedo?”

            “A what?”

            “It’s what muggle men wear to their weddings. Women wear white dresses,” Harry said.

            Draco got to his feet. “Are you calling me a girl?” he asked dangerously.

            Harry stood as well. “Of course not. I’m just saying I don’t want to wear silver dress robes. Why don’t you wear silver and I’ll wear green?”

            Draco pouted. “Because. My eyes are silver and your eyes are green,” he mumbled.

            Harry’s eyes widened and then he smiled. That was so cute!

            Draco glared. “Are you laughing at me?”

            “No, of course not,” Harry tried to soothe, but he couldn’t get the smile off of his face.

            Draco helped him with that by pulling out his wand and sending a hex in his direction. Harry yelped and ducked. Draco kept trying to hex him and Harry kept ducking and dodging. Finally, Harry rolled out of the way of another hex and ended up in the hallway. He quickly slammed the down shut with his foot and put up a locking charm.

            As he stood up and dusted himself off he noticed he was not alone in the hallway. On one side of the hallway were Severus and Lucius. On the other were Neville and Blaise. Severus and Lucius both raised an eyebrow at him.

            “Trouble in paradise?” Severus asked.

            Harry waved a hand dismissively. “Not really. Just a little argument. He’ll wear himself out in a bit and I can go in and stun him before he hits me with a spell. I’ll bind him, wake him and explain and apologize and everything will be fine.”

            Lucius was rather impressed. One thing he had worried about over the years was that without an arranged marriage, Draco would have trouble finding someone to put up with his temper tantrums. It was one reason he had been so stubborn about the marriage he had arranged with the Parkinsons. He loved his son dearly, but there were times when he simply had to shut himself up in his study until Narcissa calmed him down.

            Blaise stared at Harry with wide eyes. _That_ was a little argument?! If Harry really thought that was a little argument, then those two were made for each other. No one in Slytherin wanted anything to do with Draco when he got like that. It wasn’t good for their health. And here Harry was saying it was nothing.

            Suddenly, the door handle rattled. “Harry?” Draco said warningly. “Open this door.”

            The others watched as Harry crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow at the door. Again, a wave of shock moved through them at how much he looked like his father. “Are you going to stop?”

            “Open the door, Harry,” Draco said dangerously.

            Harry shook his head. “Draco, how about a compromise? What about dark grey rather than silver?” There was a long moment of silence.

            “Open the door, Harry,” Draco said, pouting now.

            Harry started to remove the locking spell, but he paused. “Um, you might want to move back. Just in case.”

            The others took several steps back down the hall, but didn’t leave. They wanted to see what was going to happen next.

            Harry removed the spell and opened the door. On the other side, Draco stood with his arms across his chest and he was, indeed, pouting. Harry stepped in and wrapped his arms around Draco’s waist.

            “Come on, Draco. I know grey isn’t the same as silver, but really I don’t think any robes could ever do your eyes justice,” Harry murmured.

            Draco melted against Harry’s chest. He was still a little annoyed, but the compliment went a long way towards cooling his anger. He had uncrossed his arms and pushed his hands into Harry’s hair and was leaning up to give Harry a kiss when they heard the snickers coming from the hallway.

            They both turned and looked into the hall. Blaise was looking impressed with the way Harry had calmed Draco down and Neville was smiling at the sweet compliments. On the other side of the hallway, however, were Lucius and Severus. Severus was looking a little bemused, but Lucius was smirking.

            “You’ve quite the _silver_ tongue, Harry,” Lucius said, amusement clear in his voice.

            Harry simply shook his head and grinned as Draco glared at his father. “Thank you, Lucius. I’ll be sure to tell Narcissa how much you want to help with the wedding plans,” Harry said with malicious glee. His grin widened when Lucius paled. “I’m sure she would be excited to have your input.”

            Draco smirked at his father. “Come on, Harry. Why don’t we go tell her now? We could also let her know we’ve come to a decision about the color of our dress robes.”

            The two walked down the hallway hand in hand.

            When they turned around the corner, Lucius groaned. Severus snickered at him. “Not looking forward to helping with the wedding plans, Lucius?”

            Lucius glared. “Have you forgotten what she was like planning our wedding? You said you would rather be _crucio_ ’d than have to go through that again.”

            “An opinion I still hold. No, I will not be getting in her way when it comes to this wedding,” Severus said calmly.

            “They were arguing over what color dress robes to wear?!” Blaise asked in disbelief.

*************************************

            By the time it was time to go back to Hogwarts, despite the news he had received about Ron, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley, Harry was feeling relaxed. They didn’t have a plan on what to do about Dumbledore or Voldemort, but somehow that didn’t bother Harry. They had Severus Snape, the Malfoys, the Weasley twins and the last Marauder all plotting together.

            It was almost a scary thought, all of those master plotters working together. Harry was very glad they were on his side.

            Back in his ‘Potter’ form, Harry sat on the train back to Hogwarts in a compartment with Draco, Remus, Blaise and Neville. Remus had once again managed to get them in the compartment unseen.

            “You know, right now there might not be anything we can do about the Dark Lord or the Headmaster, but I rather think we are in a position to get a little revenge against Weasel and Granger,” Draco drawled.

            “What did you have in mind?” Neville asked, surprising everyone else. He noticed the looks he was being given and shook his head. “Harry is a great friend. I might usually be forgiving, but those two crossed the line.”

            Blaise looked proud of his boyfriend while Draco gave Neville a bemused look. “Perhaps you two are not so strange a combination, Blaise,” Draco said.

            Blaise just smirked and put his arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders.

            “What _did_ you have in mind, Draco?” Remus asked.

            “Well, it seems to me that Weasel and Granger could use a little of the same treatment Weaslette has been getting,” Draco said.

            “Hmm, not a bad idea,” Remus mused. He smiled slightly at the looks Neville and the Slytherins were giving him. Harry was giving him an understanding smile. “Betraying your friends is something of a sore spot for me. And, of course, now that I know about those love spells…” Remus trailed off and gave them a grin that reminded them that they were sitting with a werewolf. It showed lots of teeth and there was a distinct predatory air to it.

            Neville frowned. “I don’t suppose I’ll be of much help with that,” he said sadly.

            “Actually,” Blaise said with a grin, “you might have it easiest of all. When you sit next to them at meals, you can ‘accidentally’ spill things on them. You can trip and knock them down. There are all kinds of things you can do. And if anyone notices you are being unusually clumsy or whatever, just blame it on the stress of the upcoming NEWTs”

            Neville got a thoughtful look on his face. It match the one Remus was wearing. The Slytherins exchanged glances at the cunning nature the Gryffindors were showing.

            Harry laughed. “You two shouldn’t be so quick to assume we Gryffindors aren’t capable of plotting. Some of the best pranksters Hogwarts has ever known have been Gryffindors. And they can be formidable opponents. Have you forgotten the swamp that is still up on the fifth floor, courtesy of the Weasley twins?”

            “Maybe the differences between Gryffindors and Slytherins aren't quite as great as we have always thought,” Draco said thoughtfully.

            Harry laughed again. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Dumbledore hasn’t worked to build the rivalry between them because of how dangerous they could be together.”

            Remus grinned. “Well, you four have definitely shown that the rivalry can be overcome. And I don’t know about you, but I personally can’t think of anything more frightening than having Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy and the Weasley twins scheming together.”


	26. Dropping in for a Visit

            Walking up the stairs to the doors of the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts, Harry grimaced as he heard Ron and Hermione calling out to him, asking him to wait up. He would have kept going and pretended he hadn’t heard them, but Neville turned in that direction so Harry sighed and turned to wait for them.

            When they had caught up, Harry turned and started walking again. He had only gone a few steps when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Neville step on the hem of his robes and trip. He managed to land on top of both Ron and Hermione.

            Harry bit his lip to keep from laughing. It was even harder to stifle his laughter when he saw the satisfied gleam in Neville’s eye as he ‘accidentally’ fell on the other two three times before he managed to stand. Just as he managed to stand up, they heard laughter to their left.

            Standing there were Draco and Blaise, smirking and laughing.

            “Nice job, Longbottom,” Blaise drawled. Neville flushed. Harry knew that Draco was the only other person to know that that had been a genuine compliment and that Neville was flushing with pleasure and not embarrassment.

            “Fuck off, Zabini,” Ron said, red faced.

            “Honestly, Neville! Can’t you at least _try_ to be more careful?” Hermione said in a supercilious tone as she stood and brushed herself off.

            Draco sneered. “How cold, Granger. No wonder Weasel is always to short tempered. You’re a frigid bitch aren’t you?”

            Harry gaped as Blaise snickered. Somehow, Harry had never imagined that Draco would say something like that.

            Hermione gasped in outrage and Ron stepped forward, red-faced and ready to take a swing at the blond Slytherin.

            “What is going on here?” Professor McGonagall demanded as she came down the steps.

            Neville blushed. “I tripped, Professor, and I fell on Ron and Hermione.”

            “Malfoy probably used a tripping jinx,” Hermione said shrilly. Harry suppressed a smile at the small, almost unnoticeable wince that crossed Professor McGonagall’s face at the sound.

            “Even I am unable to cast a jinx through a crowd of people, Granger,” Draco drawled.

            Harry, still the only one paying any attention to the professor, nearly burst out laughing as the Professor briefly looked up at the night sky as if praying, or perhaps counting, for patience.

            “That’s enough. Inside, all of you,” the stern witch said.

            The Slytherins smirked and walked off to join the rest of their housemates. Ron and Hermione walked away without another look in Harry’s direction, apparently no longer in the mood to lecture him.

            Harry leaned over and whispered in Neville’s ear. “Nice one, Nev. I bet Blaise and Draco are jealous.”

            Neville turned to him with a questioning look. Harry laughed.

            “You got them first. And both of them at the same time. Good going,” Harry said, bumping shoulders with Neville as they walked into the Entrance Hall.

**********************************

            At dinner that night, Harry decided it was his turn for a little fun. It took three tries before Harry managed to do the spell without getting caught, but the results were worth it.

            Ron was being his usual disgusting self at the table, talking with food in his mouth with little pieces falling out. It was disgusting and most people were avoiding looking at him. Until, that is, he let out a little yelp.

            Everyone turned to watch as Ron’s dishes fought with him. His plate jumped around so that he couldn’t get his fork near it, his cup suddenly tipped up and poured his drink down the front of his robes and when he went to set his fork down it tried to stab him in the hand.

            Dean and Seamus laughed the loudest and made jokes while the people on either side of Ron tried to avoid getting caught by his dishes. Suddenly the table went dead silent.

            “What is going on here?” Snape asked, standing behind Ron.

            Ron turned bright red. “Someone jinxed my dishes! They are attacking me!”

            Snape sneered. “No student is capable of the level of spell work required to spell those dishes; they have strong charms on them preventing such a thing. Unless you are accusing one of your professors?” Snape asked in a dangerous, silky voice.

            Ron glared, but said nothing.

            Snape raised an eyebrow. “Twenty points from Gryffindor for playing with your food,” he said and swept off.

***********************************

            A few days after returning form the break, Harry was walking down a corridor when he heard someone calling his name.

            “Harry,” Draco said in a loud whisper.

            Harry turned and raised an eyebrow. Draco was standing in a doorway motioning Harry over. Harry smiled when Draco grabbed his robes and jerked him into the empty classroom.

            Harry wrapped his arms around Draco’s waist and pulled him close. Ever since their first couple of dates, Harry and Draco had started to get more physically affectionate. With the study sessions in between the dates, they had become very comfortable with each other.

            Now, when they were alone, they were comfortable touching and holding one another. Sitting next to each other they had no problem putting an arm around the other’s shoulders or cuddling up together.

            Except for that night in the infirmary, they still hadn’t gone beyond sharing kisses, but they were both comfortable taking their relationship slow and building up the relationship before going to the next step.

            “Harry,” Draco said, putting his arms around Harry’s neck.

            “Mmm?” Harry said, leaning down to brush his lips against Draco’s ear.

            Draco shivered. “Harry, I was thinking about the problem that we talked about over the break.”

            Harry pulled back and frowned at the blond. “Which one?”

            “One of the big ones. Look, Harry, I want you to come to the Slytherin common room tonight. Can you make it around eleven?” Draco asked.

            Harry tilted his head. “You want me to what?”

            “Come to the Slytherin common room tonight,” Draco repeated with a glare, as if Harry was being deliberately difficult.

            “Why?” Harry asked, bewildered.

            “Just trust me. I’ll wait outside in the corridor and let you in,” Draco said.

            “Draco, what is this about?” Harry asked.

            Draco opened his mouth to answer, but they both turned when they heard the echo of voices from the corridor outside the classroom. They had to leave quickly to avoid getting caught.

            Draco kissed Harry quickly and said, “Just come to the dungeons. I’ll explain tonight.”

            Harry watched as the blond slipped out of the classroom. He waited a bit and then left the classroom himself.

            _What is Draco planning?_ Harry wondered.

************************************

            After lunch, Harry found himself again being pulled into an empty classroom by Draco.

            “You know, Draco,” Harry said when the door had closed behind him, “if we are going to make a habit of this, we should at least do so when we have more than just a few minutes. Then we could do something constructive. Like make out.”

            Draco, who had rolled his eyes at the suggestion that this was going to become a habit, suddenly widened his eyes and then got a calculation look on his face.

            Harry laughed and kissed the tip of Draco’s nose. “Was there a reason for this little visit or did you plan to just hold me hostage? Because I have to tell you, I can be a very demanding hostage,” Harry said suggestively.

            Draco groaned. “Harry! You are going to make me forget why I pulled you in here!”

            Harry laughed again. “Okay, so…why are we here?”

            Draco grimaced and some of the lust faded from his face. “McGonagall caught me hexing Weaslette. I have detention with her tonight, so I won’t be able to wait for you outside the common room.”

            Harry shrugged. “Okay, so we’ll just do it tomorrow.”

            Draco shook his head. “No. It has to be tonight. I’ll only be a little late, but you can’t wait in the corridor outside the common room for me. I’ll get Blaise to let you in.”

            Harry frowned. “And won’t the other Slytherins have a problem with me just showing up in the common room?”

            Draco shook his head again. “Just trust me.” He leaned in and kissed Harry. It was a slow, sensual kiss. When he pulled back they were both a little out of breath. “I’ll see you tonight.”

            Harry watched, bemused, as Draco slipped out the door without another word. It seemed his boyfriend was not going to tell him what was going on until he was in the Slytherin common room.

            He grinned as he realized Draco never asked him if he knew where the entrance to the Slytherin common room was. He did, of course, but he couldn’t wait until it occurred to Draco that he had never asked.

****************************************

            After dinner, Harry threw his bag onto his bed and frowned. Neville wasn’t up here either. After waiting for a few hours down in the common room for him, Harry had thought that maybe he had missed the other boy after dinner and that maybe Neville was already up here in their dorm room.

            _Where could he be?_ Harry wondered.

            Shrugging, Harry sat on his bed and read one of the books he had borrowed from Blaise. He had kept an eye on the Gryffindor troublemakers, meaning his two former friends and his ex-girlfriend, so he knew that at least nothing bad had happened to the other boy. Maybe Neville was meeting up with Blaise.

            A couple hours later, Harry put his book aside and stood up and stretched. A quick check of the time and Harry knew he had to leave soon. He had just enough time to take a quick shower.

            After his shower, Harry headed down to the common room. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he looked around the room and frowned when he saw that Neville was still missing.

            “Harry!”

            Harry managed not to swear out loud. It was a near thing, but he just managed to bite the words back. Turning towards the source of the sickeningly sweet greeting, Harry gave a rather grim smile. “Ginny.”

            The redheaded witch walked over to him and grabbed his arm, quickly cuddling close. Harry would have stepped back to avoid her, but his heel hit the step behind him.

            “Harry, it’s been so long since we’ve spent any time together!” Ginny pouted up at him. She trailed her fingers down his chest. “Why don’t we go for a walk?”

            Harry gritted his teeth. “Sorry, Ginny. I have to go.”

            “Go where?” Ginny asked failing to completely keep the frustration out of her voice.

            “Ginny, why don’t you go talk to Dean? I know he-”

            Ginny laughed. “Oh, Harry! Is that why you’ve been avoiding me? You thought I was going out with Dean?”

            Ginny’s fingers stopped just above the waist of the jeans he was wearing under his robes. If she moved them any lower, Harry was going to hex her.

            “Harry!”

            “There you are!”

            Harry turned to the sources of the greetings. He gave Collin and Dennis a pleading, desperate look.

            “You’re late!” Collin said, jerking the arm Ginny wasn’t holding onto. Harry put his weight into it and between the two of them they managed to free Harry from Ginny’s clutches.

            “Sorry about that,” Harry said.

            Collin kept up a steady string of chatter while Dennis trailed behind them keeping Ginny from getting a hold of Harry again. As before, the two younger Gryffindors escorted Harry out of the common room and around a corner.

            Harry sagged against the stone wall and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks.”

            “No problem, Harry,” Collin said sympathetically.

            Dennis nodded. “You aren’t the only one who has had to learn how to rescue himself over the years,” he said with a sad, almost wistful look.

            Harry grimaced. “I almost think I’d rather face the Dark Lord.”

            The other two boys nodded.

            Harry stood up straight. “Well, I have to get going. Are you two going to be okay? I’m pretty sure Ginny’s not going to be too happy with you right now.”

            They shrugged.

            “We’ve found some hiding places over the years,” Dennis said.

            Collin nodded. “We can go to one of them for a few hours.”

            “Don’t worry, we can take care of ourselves,” Dennis said.

            Harry caught the wistful looks on the other boys’ faces. He couldn’t really think of anything to say, though, so he just nodded and left.

************************************

            It took a while, but Harry managed to get to the entrance to the Slytherin common room without being seen. He had had to duck into Myrtle’s bathroom to avoid Peeves, but he had finally made it.

            Harry stopped in the corridor next to the painting that was guarding the common room and looked around. He frowned and checked the time, but he was on time. So where was Blaise?

            Before Harry could decide what to do, Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson came around a corner and saw him standing there.

            “Potter? What the hell are you doing here?” Nott asked.

            Harry shrugged. “I just thought I’d drop in for a visit. Going to invite me in?” Harry gave them a small smile.

            Theo looked at him like he was wondering if Harry had lost his mind. Pansy glared and said, “No, we will not!” Then she smirked. “We will, however, let Professor Snape know that we caught you trying to sneak into our common room.”

            Harry smiled at Pansy. “Now, Pansy. You wouldn’t really do that would you?  I mean, if you did that, well, I might have to mention the little incident on the train to certain people…”

            Pansy looked at him with a mixture of horror, shock and respect on her face. Suddenly she threw herself at Harry and hugged him tightly. “Harry! Won’t you come in?”

            Theo watched this entire exchange with a mixture of shock and awe. He couldn’t believe what he had just seen. Harry Potter, Gryffindor Golden Boy, had just blackmailed someone. More than that, he had just _successfully_ blackmailed a Slytherin. He followed behind Pansy and Potter as they entered the common room.

            No one was in the common room so Theo was the only witness the sight of Pansy, with her arm looped through one of Potter’s, chatting brightly. Theo sat down across from them as they sat beside one another on a sofa and he just continued to stare at Potter in awe.

            That was the scene that Draco walked in on. He glared at his fellow Slytherins. They hadn’t noticed him yet, but he took a great deal of notice of the fact that Pansy was sitting very close to Harry and he definitely didn’t like the way Theo was looking at his boyfriend.

            “What the hell is going on?” Draco demanded coldly.

            Harry turned to him and smiled. “I decided to drop in for a visit and Theo and Pansy were nice enough to invite me in.”

            Theo turned to Draco and said, his voice full of the awe showing on his face, “He blackmailed Pansy.”

            Draco turned and lifted an eyebrow at his boyfriend. “With what?”

            Pansy managed to keep her face impassive, but Harry saw the panic in her eyes. He just smiled at Draco. “Now, Draco. If I told you that, the information would be much less valuable as blackmail material.”

            Draco pouted and walked over to Harry. A cold glare in Pansy’s direction had the girl quickly getting up and moving to sit next to Theo. Draco dropped into the seat next to Harry.

            Harry just chuckled and draped his arm around Draco. He positioned his hand and arm in such a way that his ring was prominently displayed and he enjoyed the gasps of the other two Slytherins.

            “So, where’s Blaise?” Harry asked. “I thought he was going to meet me?”

            Draco frowned and looked at Pansy and Theo. They both shook their heads. They didn’t know where he was either. Then they seemed to process what Harry had said and they gaped at him.

            Harry had a thought and he laughed quietly. He leaned over and whispered into Draco’s ear. “Neville’s missing too. I wonder if they went off somewhere together.”

            Draco rolled his eyes and cuddled closer to Harry. “Well, wherever he is he had better show up soon.”

            All four of them turned to look when they heard gasps off to their left. A few more seventh year Slytherins had joined them and they were all staring at both Draco cuddling with Harry and at the ring that Harry was wearing.

            Draco glared at them and they found their seats without saying a word. They all kept staring, but nothing was said.

            Several tense moments of silence passed before Blaise finally arrived. He was panted as if he had been running.

            He stopped short as he saw Draco glaring at him and he winced. “Sorry. I was getting a lecture from Professor Snape.” He shrugged and found a seat.

            Draco sat up straight, though he didn’t move away from Harry, and said, “Well, now that we are all here, we can get started.”


	27. What Next?

            Harry looked around and saw that all of the Slytherins from their year were present as well as several for each of the other years. He could tell, however, that there were several Slytherins missing.

            “Where are the other Slytherins?” Harry asked.

            “In their beds enjoying the effects of the Dreamless Sleep potions we slipped them,” Gregory Goyle answered.

            Harry’s brow rose. “Okaaay. Would someone care to explain to the poor clueless Gryffindor?”

            Harry watched as several people looked around as if waiting for someone else to speak. The seventh year Slytherins were giving Harry assessing looks as if trying to determine how much they could trust him. Draco was too busy glaring into submission the few people who looked angry or who were muttering about Harry’s presence to answer the question.

            Finally, Blaise rolled his eyes and answered, “All of the people you see here are against the Dark Lord. We want nothing to do with the crazy bastard.”

            “We have meetings like this every month or two to share information about the Dark Lord and what he’s up to. When we can we make problems for him or stop him,” Vincent Crabbe answered.

            “Not that there’s much we can do,” Greg said tiredly.

            Harry looked at Crabbe and Goyle. The way they spoke…Harry suppressed a snort. _Damn Slytherins,_ he thought in amusement. They played up the big and dumb stereotype to get people to underestimate them. Harry paused for a moment as a stray thought crossed his mind. He pushed the thought away for later consideration as the conversation continued around him.

            “Our parents aren’t much help either,” Millicent Bulstrode said sounding frustrated.

            “So you are going against your parents?” Harry asked carefully. “Or do your parents agree with you that they don’t want to be Death Eaters?”

            Theo rolled his eyes. “Every single one of us that’s here has parents that feel the same. Not that our parents know that hardly anyone wants to be the crazy bastard’s flunky. They are all too busy playing the part of good little Death Eaters to worry about who else might just be paying lip service.”

            “And it’s impossible to try to tell them that they might have allies,” Daphne Greengrass said. “Try to bring it up and they look at you like you are suicidal or are trying to get them killed. I know I’m not the only one to get a silencing charm slapped on me.”

            Harry watched as most of the students nodded in agreement.

            “Well,” Harry said, stretching his legs out in front of him. “To be fair, you guys see each other nearly constantly. They probably only see each other at meetings. If the wrong person found out they could be killed and rather slowly at that. So, why’d they join up if they didn’t want to?”

            “For the same reason that my father did,” Draco said. “They saw the Dark Lord as the lesser of two evils. I’m not sure that many have changed their minds about that even now.”

            Harry grimaced. “Well, can’t say I blame them on that one.”

            “Are you saying Dumbledore’s pet is-?” one of the fifth years asked.

            Harry glared and cut in, “I’m nobody’s pet.” He looked at the others. “But to answer your question, yes, I’m saying that Dumbledore is a complete bastard and _I’m_ not about to argue his case to you.”

            “How do we know you aren’t just saying that because you are with Draco now?” Millicent asked warily.

            Harry smiled. “I assure you I came to that conclusion on my own and long before I started dating Draco. I’m sure Draco and Blaise will agree that I have plenty of reasons to sympathize with you and your parents.”

            The two in question silently nodded as the others turned to them.

            “What reasons?” Daphne asked curiously.

            Harry ignored the question. “So, most of the Slytherins and your parents are with Voldemort only because they see him as the lesser evil, meaning they don’t really want anything to do with either of the so-called most powerful wizards of our age?” Harry watched as everyone present nodded. A thoughtful look came to his face. “I’m pretty sure I can get some of the Gryffindors…” Harry muttered.

            “What are you talking about?” Theo asked.

            Harry looked at him and gave him a rather dark grin. “We don’t like either of the two teams playing in this game. So why not create one of our own?”

            There was a long moment of stunned silence. Even Draco and Blaise were surprised by Harry’s suggestion.

            “You’re crazy,” Pansy breathed.

            Harry shook his head. “You guys know about the prophecy, right?”

            “Prophecy?” several voices chorused.

            Harry nodded and briefly explained about the prophecy that said only he could kill the Dark Lord. “So, you see, my team is the winning team,” Harry finished.

            “You could be the one to die,” Millicent pointed out.

            Harry shrugged. “I haven’t yet, despite his best efforts. _He_ , on the other hand, hasn’t been faring very well, now has he? Besides, if I get the best of his people,” Harry waved a hand around indicating those present and, by extension, their parents, “and the best of the Gryffindors, most of whom are already on _my_ side…” Harry trailed off and let the others finish the sentence on their own.

            Again, there was a long moment of silence.

            “This wasn’t quite what I had in mind when I asked you to come here,” Draco said.

            Harry turned to him. “What did you have planned?”

            Draco frowned. “I thought perhaps we could get information from our parents and give it to you and maybe we could get our parents to…I don’t know,” Draco finished, a little frustrated. “I wanted you to know that the Death Eaters weren’t going to be as much of a problem as you had thought.”

            Harry smiled and kissed the pouting Slytherin on the tip of his nose. “Don’t be mad, Draco. I couldn’t have come up with the idea without you.”

            The seventh year Slytherins snickered as the younger students gasped and gaped at seeing Harry so casually affectionate with Draco. Like Blaise had said, they had known for years that Draco was crazy about Harry. They were looking forward to a much more peaceful (and safe!) time now that they didn’t have to worry about where they were going to hide when the latest news of Harry’s lovelife came to Draco’s attention.

            Blaise might have told Harry that the other Slytherins had had a tough time when Draco found out about Harry kissing Cho, but that had been nothing next compared to what had happened when the blond had heard the rumors that Harry was planning on marrying Ginny Weasley after they graduated.

            “I have an idea,” Harry said, turning back to the others.

            “What, the idea of us creating a third side in this war wasn’t enough?” Daphne asked, sounding a little dazed.

            Harry smiled. “Actually, it’s just more along the same lines. Blaise, do you remember what I had asked you about your mother? For after NEWTs?”

            Blaise nodded.

            “Do you think she would be willing to host a little get together? I was thinking she could invite all of their,” Harry nodded to the other Slytherins, “parents over. Then I’d show up and we could finally get it out in the open that we are all on the same page when it comes to the options we have been presented with.”

            “And if one of them decided it would be a good idea to turn you over to the Dark Lord?” Greg asked.

            “Then where would we be?” Vince asked.

            “Yeah, I mean, you might be with Draco, but his father would probably be at the head of the line to serve you up on a silver platter,” Pansy said.

            Blaise snickered. “Especially now,” he said, amused. Lucius had been horrified that Harry had gotten Narcissa to include him in the wedding planning.

            Harry smirked. “Maybe, but Cissy likes me,” he said smugly. He laughed when the other Slytherins tried to look unaffected by both the look and the comment. Then he sobered and shrugged. “So we just get the help of…the parents in the know,” Harry said with subtle emphasis, letting Blaise and Draco know he was including Snape.

            Blaise nodded. “I’ll talk to my mother.”

            “Okay,” Draco said, “I don’t want _anyone_ telling their parents about what we talked about in this meeting until Blaise has had a chance to talk to his mother. After we know what she says then we start working on how to make sure our parents go to the meeting and how to keep them from letting it slip to the Dark Lord.”

            Draco glared around the room and everyone nodded, letting him know they would keep quiet. Harry hadn’t missed the not-so-subtle emphasis on ‘anyone’ and he gave Draco a little squeeze as his agreement.

            “Now, we obviously have our House covered and Harry can obviously deal with the Gryffindors, but the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs might be a problem,” Draco said.

            “Actually,” Harry said, his stray thought from earlier making a reappearance. _Perfect_ , Harry thought. “I might know how we can deal with them. Give me until the next meeting? Assuming I’m invited to the next meeting.”

            Blaise and Draco rolled their eyes.

            “How else am I going to tell you about what my mother says?” Blaise asked.

            “Right,” Draco said. “So we will plan-” he broke off as a strange sound echoed through the room.

            Harry watched, bemused, as everyone scattered and books and decks of cards and homework suddenly appeared. Except for his presence, Harry guessed this is what the common room looked like on a normal night.

            Draco didn’t move away from him and Blaise moved to the chair next to their sofa. He had only just sat down when Snape came into the common room. He was looking down at a piece of parchment in his hand as he walked in. He stopped just inside the common room and looked up, his mouth open to say something. What he was going to say, they never found out as he caught sight of Harry.

            Severus looked up from the letter in his hand to see his son sitting in the middle of the Slytherin common room with his arm around his fiancé’s shoulders. The tall, dark haired man had a hard time resisting the urge to reach up, pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh. He suddenly understood those occasions when he had walked into Lucius’ study at Malfoy Manor and had caught Lucius banging his head on his desk while muttering about Draco.

            “Potter!” Severus managed to snap, sounding sufficiently menacing and irritable. “What do you think you are doing in here?’

            Harry looked at him. “Um…visiting?”

            “Visiting,” Severus repeated blankly. Did Harry really just…?

            Harry smiled. “Yes.”

            Severus struggled and managed a glare. “My office!” he barked out, turning on his heel and storming out.

            Harry watched as Snape left. All the Slytherins except for Blaise and Draco were staring at him. Harry shrugged and kissed the tip of Draco’s nose. “Talk to you later.” He stood and stretched. He gave a small smile as Draco watched and then glared at everyone else in the room that he caught looking at Harry. “Bye, Blaise,” Harry said over his shoulder.

            When Harry arrived in Snape’s office, he stopped in the doorway as he caught sight of the older man. Snape was pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand and was slowly shaking his head back and forth. Harry walked in and shut and warded the door behind him.

            “Um, are you okay?” Harry asked in concern.

            Severus was torn between appreciating the obvious concern in Harry’s voice and the exasperation he felt over the boy’s actions. He lowered his hand and raised his head and looked at Harry, who had sat in one of the chairs on the other side of his desk.

            “Would you care to explain to me what you were doing in the Slytherin common room?” Severus asked neutrally.

            Harry shook his head and said apologetically, “Sorry, but we all agreed not to tell our parents. If you could wait a while, I’ll be able to explain later.”

            Severus worked to keep his expressionless mask intact. First Harry was concerned for him and now the casual reference to him as Harry’s parent. They had come a long way in such a short amount of time. After _years_ of hatred and hostility it was shocking how much had changed in less than six months.

            And Severus knew that Harry wasn’t even doing it intentionally. Harry wasn’t trying to manipulate him or get something (or get _out_ of something) by emphasizing the relationship between them. Harry was just reacting honestly, which made it all the more…Severus couldn’t even think of a word to describe the way it made him feel.

            Severus watched as concern for him slowly came back to Harry’s face. He took a moment to appreciate the sight before nodding, once. “Very well. Let me know as soon as you can.”

            Harry gave him a bright smile. “Okay. So, what were you lecturing Blaise about?”

            Severus nearly groaned. “I caught him and…Longbottom in one of the empty classrooms. I was counseling Mr. Zabini on the fine art of discretion.”

            Harry snickered. “And what were they doing when you caught them?” Harry’s eyes widened when Snape winced. “Oh my god! What were they doing?!”

            Severus glared at Harry. “Do not even think of attempting to follow his example,” Severus growled.

            Harry’s eyes couldn’t possibly open any wider. He was soooo going to be talking to Neville when he got back to Gryffindor Tower. Speaking, well, thinking of Gryffindors…

            “No!” Severus barked.

            Harry jumped a bit. “What?”

            “Despite the current discrepancies in your present appearance, I am quite familiar with that particular expression. Your mother wore that look right before getting into some mischief or another,” Severus said.

            Harry blinked and then grinned. “Well, if it makes your feel any better I was thinking of something unrelated to our current discussion.”

            Severus stared at Harry suspiciously. “I’m sure.”

            Harry’s grin widened but he didn’t say anything.

            Severus decided to keep a close eye on Harry and Draco. Leaning back in his chair, he changed the subject. “I have just gotten a letter from Lucius. It seems he and the Weasley twins have managed to find most of the ingredients I will need to remove the binding spells.”

            Harry forgot all about teasing Snape and leaned forward eagerly. “So you think you’ll be able to remove the spells soon?”

            “Perhaps. I was actually able to locate the ingredient that I has thought would be the most difficult to find right here in the castle,” Severus said.

            “Well, that was lucky,” Harry said.

            Severus snorted. “Yes. _Our_ kind of luck.”

            Harry just sighed. “Yeah, that figures. So what’s the problem? Is it in a part of the castle that is only accessible every two hundred years? Do the planets have to be in the right alignment for you to harvest it? What?”

            “No,” Severus drawled. “It is in the Headmaster’s private quarters.”


	28. Gossip

            “I’m coming with you,” Harry said.

            “No, you are not!” Snape glared at Harry.

            Harry glared back. “Yes, I am.”

            “You will not,” Snape said darkly, warningly.

            “Fine,” Harry said with a shrug.

            Severus narrowed his eyes at Harry, suspicious that he had given in so easily.

            “I’ll go without you,” Harry said.

            Severus sighed deeply and tried not to grit his teeth. “What reason would you have to go to the Headmaster’s private quarters?”

            Harry just shrugged again. “Why not?”

            “Why…not?” Severus asked flatly.

            “You get to go,” Harry said.

            “I’m going because I need the ingredient to remove the binding spells,” Severus said, trying to sound reasonable. “I would not be going otherwise. Certainly, it is too dangerous to go just for the fun of it.” Severus’ voice got a hint of a growl in it towards the end.

            “Perhaps for you,” Harry said in a reasonable tone of his own. “But you aren’t a Gryffindor, are you?”

            Severus looked at him with grim resignation. “You would, wouldn’t you?”

            Harry looked at him with a serious expression on his face. “Is that so hard to believe, given everything else I’ve done up to this point?”

            Severus glared at his son for several minutes, but the stubborn boy just stared back calmly. “Fine,” Severus gritted out. “Be here tomorrow night at six.”

            Harry smiled brightly.

***********************************

            When Harry returned to Gryffindor Tower, he looked around the common room. He didn’t see Neville. He did, however, see Ginny. The Creeveys were no where in sight and Harry doubted they would show up to rescue him again just in time. He bolted for the stairs up to his dorm room when he saw her smile at him and stand.

            When Harry reached the dorm room he shared with the other Gryffindor boys of his year, he saw Ron, Dean and Seamus gathered around Neville’s bed.

            “Hey guys! What’s going on?” Harry asked, crossing the room to join them.

            Dean and Seamus gave him a look, but Seamus answered.

            “We don’t know. Neville came rushing up to the room and headed straight for his bed. He wouldn’t say anything when we asked what was wrong,” Seamus said.

            “Oh,” Harry said. He tried to sound thoughtful. “He must have been the Gryffindor that Snape yelled at.”

            The other three boys all winced in sympathy. They certainly wouldn’t have wanted to be lectured by Snape, but more than that they knew how much the man frightened Neville.

            “Why don’t you guys head back down to the common room and I’ll see if he’ll talk to me?” Harry suggested.

            The other three boys glared, but with the mystery solved they lost interest in Neville’s behavior. Harry watched as they left the room and when they were gone, he set a ward to warn him if anyone tried to eavesdrop and then he walked over to Neville’s bed.

            “Nev?” Harry asked the bed curtains.

            Neville stuck his head out and looked around. Seeing only Harry, he opened his curtains, pulled Harry into his bed and then quickly shut the curtains again. Harry set a privacy charm after he was settled and then he used his wand to provide some light.

            “Okay, Nev,” Harry grinned. “Are you going to tell me what Snape caught you and Blaise doing?”

            “Oh god!” Neville groaned and blushed. “Blaise told you?”

            “Um, actually, Blaise only said that he had gotten a lecture from Snape. I ran into Snape after that and asked him about it. He said that he had caught you two together and he lectured Blaise on being discreet. I asked what he had caught you doing and he wouldn’t tell me. So, what were you doing?” Harry grinned.

            Neville blushed brighter. “Oh god, Harry! I have never been so embarrassed in my life!”

            “Come on, Nev! Tell me!”

            Neville covered his face with his hands. “I pulled him into the classroom to-”

            “ _You_ did?”

            “Yes,” Neville mumbled. “I just wanted to steal a kiss.”

            Harry thought it had to be impossible for Neville to get any redder. “And?”

            “Well, it just…got a little out of hand.”

            “Come on, Nev. Details! How far out of hand?” Harry grinned.

            “Well, maybe more like…in each other’s hands,” Neville mumbled, hunching his shoulders.

            “What?” Harry asked, slightly envious. He was sure taking things slow with Draco was the way to go, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to do more or go further.

            “It wasn’t even, you know, our hands down each other’s pants,” Neville continued to mumble. “Oh god, Harry. Professor Snape saw _everything_.” Neville moaned in mortification.

            “Um, eww,” Harry said disgusted and sympathetic. “You two didn’t even get to finish?”

            Neville shook his head. “Having your professor walk in on you is a good way to ruin the mood.”

            “Yeah, I’d say so. Especially if it was Snape. Although, McGonagall would have been pretty bad too,” Harry said.

            “Harry! I don’t need that mental image on top of the memory of Professor Snape walking in on Blaise and me.”

            Harry reached out and patted Neville on the back sympathetically. “Sorry, Nev.”

***********************************

            The next day, Harry was in Remus’ office talking to the werewolf before he went down to the dungeons to join Snape.

            “You are planning to do what?!” Remus asked. “What is Severus thinking?”

            “We’ll be okay,” Harry said with a shrug. “You know him. He’ll have planned carefully for every possibility.”

            Harry watched as Remus stared off into space with a worried look on his face. As Harry sat there watching, some things that Harry had been wondering about suddenly became clear. Remus was unaware of the look of dawning understanding that came to Harry’s face.

            “Remus?” Harry asked. The older man didn’t react. “Remus!” Again, Harry got no response. Taking a chance, Harry said, “Professor Snape! Oh my god!” Harry watched in astonishment and amusement as Remus jerked around so fast he nearly fell out of his chair.

            “What? Harry?” Remus asked, looking around wildly.

            Harry snickered. “There something you want to tell me, Remus?”

            Remus slowly turned to look at Harry with a look of horror on his face. Suddenly he blushed and nervously looked around his desk. He started to randomly grab papers and tap them as if straightening them. “What do you mean, Harry?”

            Harry grinned. “You know, I’ve been wondering. You’ve been acting rather friendly towards Snape lately. You spent Valentine’s Day with him. And what was with that look the other day?”

            “What do you mean? What look?” Remus asked, trying to act nonchalant.

            Harry grinned. “When Ginny got her make-over. I saw the way you were looking at him and the way you invaded his personal space. You made him jump.” Harry’s grin widened when Remus blushed. “What happened? You start to notice him when you came back to teach this year? Or was it back in my third year?”

            Remus groaned and lowered his head until his forehead hit the desk. “I’ve always liked him,” Remus mumbled.

            Harry stared at the man in shock. “Always?”

            “Yeah,” Remus mumbled.

            “Like, even back when you were in school?” Harry asked incredulously.

            Remus sighed. “Yeah.”

            Harry frowned. “Then why…?”

            Remus raised his head. “Why didn’t I say anything to James when he was bullying Severus?” Remus ran a hand through his hair. “Harry, I know I let you believe that I just sat back and did nothing, but…Well, at the time I thought the man was your father and…it was easier to let you think poorly of me than to tell you that I _did_ speak up. And every time I did it just got worse. In the end, I felt like the only thing I _could_ do was to say nothing.”

            Harry continued to frown. “Why would James Potter do that?”

            Remus groaned. “James liked me. I liked Severus and Severus liked Lily. It was a nightmare for me. I had to watched Severus and Lily get together while trying to tell James that I only wanted to be friends.

            “When Lily and James got married, I was selfishly happy. James wasn’t after me any more to go out with him and Severus was free. Only Severus cared so much for Lily that even after they separated, I never had a chance.” Remus snorted. “Like I would have had a chance even if he had gotten over her.”

            “What do you mean?” Harry asked.

            “Severus is straight,” Remus said with a sigh.

            Harry frowned and thought for a moment. “But if James liked you, why would he marry my mum?”

            “I think that may be my fault,” Remus said wearily. “The last time James had asked me out before he married Lily, I told him I couldn’t date someone so immature. I couldn’t date someone who would do the things he had done. I told him to ask me again when he had grown up a bit; I wanted a man I could trust to be a good husband and father. James, being a typically impulsive Gryffindor, probably agreed to Lily’s plan to show me he could be a good husband and father.”

            Harry was silent for a long time, thinking it over. “You know, I’m really glad James Potter isn’t my father. The man was a complete bastard.”

            Remus winced. “He had his good points, too.”

            Harry was quiet again for a bit. “Hey, Remus? You never did say what that was all about. What was up with the look on your face when you got so close to Snape after Ginny’s ‘make-over’?”

            Remus groaned again. “He smells good,” Remus mumbled.

            Harry tried unconvincingly to mask his laughter with a fake cough. Remus looked resigned. After he settled down, Harry said, “Remus, if you’ve liked him for this long, don’t you think you should at least take a chance that he might be able to return your feelings?”

            “Harry, we Gryffindors may be reckless to the point of stupidity, just like Severus says, but we are not masochists. At least, I’m not. He’s _straight_ , Harry,” Remus said sadly.

            “Come on. How do you know? He could be bi. I mean, if the only _person_ he was every really interested in was my mum, that doesn’t mean he only likes women,” Harry said.

            Remus winced. “I’d really rather not get my hopes up, Harry. He’s been much more pleasant since I came back this year. If all I can hope for is to be his friend, I’ll settle for that.”

            “I don’t know,” Harry said. “Did you ever think that maybe Snape has been alone long enough?”

            Remus frowned at him. “Harry? Are you ever going to call him ‘Dad’ or ‘Father’ or anything like that?”

            Harry shifted uncomfortably and looked away. “Remus, it’s still kind of…I just-I’m not ready for something like that. We’ve come a long way since finding out about us, but…”

            “Harry, I wasn’t trying to pressure you or anything. I was just curious,” Remus said. “I was just wondering if you thought you two would ever come to have a real father-son relationship.”

            Harry tilted his head and looked at Remus. “If we do, it won’t change the way I feel about you, Remy,” Harry said quietly.

            Remus gave Harry a sheepish smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be so selfish.”

            Harry snorted. “Remy, you are as bad as I am. Personally, I think we’ve earned the right to a little selfishness. When this bloody war is over, I personally am going to say to hell with the rest of the wizarding world and finally live my life as I please.”

            Remus gave Harry a sad smile.

**********************************

            Harry skipped dinner to make sure he was in Snape’s office on time. It would be just like the man to leave without him. He knocked on the office door and didn’t wait for the command to enter. He stopped short when he found a wand pointed in his direction.

            “Whoa!” Harry said, holding his hands up in an ‘I’m unarmed’ gesture. “It’s just me.”

            Severus glared. “I did not tell you you could come in.”

            Harry rolled his eyes. “Well, it’s not like I’m about to walk in on you doing naughty things with someone.” Harry scrunched his nose in disgust at the thought of walking in on Snape-his _father_ -doing naughty things.

            Severus looked at Harry in disbelief. “What?!”

            Harry looked at him thoughtfully. “Have you even ever seriously dated anyone other than my mum?”

            “Harry, we need to go,” Severus said stiffly.

            Harry shook his head. “Not yet. It’s not even six yet. I came early. I was just asking, because I was thinking about what I wanted to do after the war. You don’t want to be alone for the rest of your life do you? Or are you still, ah, dealing with the thing with my mum?”

            “How did your thoughts on what you want to do after the war lead you to wonder about that?” Severus asked stiffly.

            “I’m getting married, aren’t I? And I was just wondering what other people would be doing. And I have to admit, I’ve always wondered about you. I’ve never seen you with anyone,” Harry said. “And I don’t think you should always be alone.”

            Severus wanted to groan. He remembered Lucius was the same when he was engaged, though it was the worst just after he married. He went around trying to pair up all of their single friends.

            “Harry-”

            “You know, you need a single friend. Someone you can go out with to-”  
            “That won’t be necessary!” Severus glared.

            Harry frowned at him. “Well, fine. I guess you’ll just have to settle for someone you already know. Professor McGonagall is way too old for you and I just can’t see you with Professor Sprout or Professor Trelawney or Madam Hooch. Blaise’s mum is single, but if you two had any interest in each other, you two would probably have already gotten together. Hmm. Oh, hey! What about Tonks? She’s cute!”

            Severus looked at Harry in horror. He swore that he was going to hex Lucius the next time the man complained about Draco.

            “Harry, we should go now,” Severus said. He headed for the door without letting Harry say anything else.

            Harry leisurely followed, wearing a small smile that Severus didn’t notice as he left his office.


	29. Dumbledore's Darkness

            Harry had wondered how Snape had planned on getting them into the Headmaster’s private quarters. He had imagined all kinds of stealthy, spy-like activities. He was a little disappointed when Snape calmly walked up to the Headmaster’s office with the aid of only a Disillusionment charm.

            “Um, Snape?” Harry asked warily.

            “The Headmaster has given me certain privileges, if you will. I am given access to his office so that I may use the Floo to attend the Death Eater meetings,” Severus said.

            “And how does that help us get into his private quarters?” Harry asked, looking around the office he had been in so many times before.

            “The Headmaster’s private quarters are connected to his office,” Severus said absently as he looked around the office. “The difficult part will be in finding the entrance.”

            “What about the portraits?” Harry whispered urgently, having just remembered.

            “Years ago, I had considered that I might need to leave without even the Headmaster being aware of my presence passing through his office,” Severus said. “I managed to put certain precautions into place. The paintings will not remember that we were here and would not be able to speak of our little visit even if they had remembered. I chose a time when I knew both the Headmaster and Fawkes would be out. As I said, the problem comes in locating the entrance to the Headmaster’s quarters.”

            While Snape inspected the room and muttered the occasional spell, Harry looked around the office trying to remember anything that might help. He frowned as something occurred to him and he walked over to one of the many cabinets against one wall of the office.

            Trying a few spells he had learned from Snape and from the library at Number 12, Harry located and disarmed several traps and alarms before he managed to unlock and open the cabinet. As he had hoped, the cabinet was actually not a cabinet at all. It was a hidden entrance to another room.

            Harry turned to find Snape watching him with raised eyebrows. Harry smiled brightly and gestured to the hidden entrance. “What next?”

            Severus had been curious when Harry had focused on one of the cabinets in the room. He had been slightly alarmed when the boy had started casting spells, but he watched carefully and Harry had done an excellent job. He had worked slowly and meticulously and had managed to open the cabinet without setting off any traps or alarms.

            Severus was quite impressed. He said nothing, but he let it show in his expression. “Now we go in,” he said.

            Harry just stood there as Snape walked by him and opened the door hidden in the cabinet. He was stunned at the expression that he had seen on Snape’s face. He was also stunned at how that had made him feel. He had felt a surge of pride in his accomplishment.

            Harry shook his head. That was just…weird. Snape being impressed with something he did. _His father_ being impressed with something he did. Feeling proud because of it. Harry shook his head again and followed Snape.

            Once inside the hidden room, Severus waited for Harry to join him and then he replaced all of the traps and alarms that Harry had dismantled. He turned to find Harry frowning.

            “You know,” Harry said. “I was expecting something much less tame given the way he dresses. This really is more what I would expect from the man who put that biding spell on me rather than the kind old man he usually pretends to be.”  
            Severus looked around the room. The sitting room was decorated conservatively in rich, dark colors. “It is unlikely that anyone else has been in these rooms since he took them over. He would most likely entertain any and all visitors in his office.”

            Harry nodded. “Okay, so what are we looking for?”

            “The ingredient could be in one of several forms. Look for a glass bottle with either a thick, dark purple liquid or a rust colored powder. If we are lucky we will find it in its raw form, but I do not want you to touch it if we do. It will look like a small, round, lavender colored stone in its polished form or a piece of red tinted bark in its rough form,” Severus quickly rattled off.

            Harry nodded. “Right. I’ll start over here,” he said, pointing to the door on the right.

            Severus raised a brow, but turned to the door on the far left. “Be careful to leave as little evidence of your presence as possible. Try not to touch anything you don’t have to,” Severus said as he walked away.

            The Headmaster’s quarters were spacious and extensive. It took Severus an hour to find what he was looking for. In the fourth room he was searching, he found another hidden door that led to a private laboratory. Severus was taken aback at some of the ingredients that he found in the room. The Headmaster was certainly far from the benevolent leader of the light that he portrayed himself to be. Some of the things Severus saw even the Dark Lord avoided.

            After collecting what he had come for, Severus took a few other items of interest. He tried to take portions that would not be missed, but some items he simply could not avoid taking a noticeable amount. Severus took care to leave as little evidence of his theft as possible.

            After leaving the lab, Severus went in search of Harry. He found him in the bedroom, looking through the bedside tables. Harry looked up as he came into the room.

            “Did you find it?” Harry asked, closing the drawer he was looking in.

            “Yes. We need to leave,” Severus said. “The Headmaster should be gone for another couple of hours, but we need to remove and then replace the wards on the door and then make it back to the dungeons unseen.”

            Harry nodded. “I just wish-”

            Harry broke off and they both spun around as they heard the door to the Headmaster’s office open. Harry and Severus shared a quick look. Both had too much experience in this kind of thing to panic. They looked around the room. Severus headed for the bed, but Harry grabbed his arm and shook his head. The way the bed was built, there was no ‘under the bed.’

            They heard footsteps heading straight for the room they were in. Harry pulled on Snape’s arm and led him over to the large armoire on one side of the room. Harry quickly opened it and shoved the older man inside before getting in and closing it behind them.

            They made it just in time. Just as the armoire door closed, they heard the door to the bedroom open. The footsteps stopped just inside the room for a moment before quickly crossing the room. They heard the sounds of a search.

            Harry and Severus traded a grim look. As the footsteps approached the armoire, Severus started to step forward, thinking he could at least keep the Headmaster from finding Harry. Harry quickly snapped his arm up across the older man’s chest. He pulled out his wand and quickly performed a spell on the two of them.

            Harry had used the invisibility spell he had found in the library in Number 12 and had altered after he had sneaked down to the infirmary with Neville. This version should work on two people, preventing others from seeing or hearing them but allowing them to continue to see and hear each other. Harry held his breath as the footsteps reached the armoire. He had not had a chance to test the spell out.

            Severus tensed. He didn’t know what spell Harry had used, but given the work the boy had done on the gift he had given him for Christmas and the work he had done on the door, Severus was willing to trust Harry.

            Harry stood there holding his breath and Severus stood there with every muscle tensed as the doors opened and suddenly they were face to face with the Headmaster.  They didn’t move as the old wizard glared. His eyes swept over the two men standing in the closet as if they weren’t even there.

            Harry felt a chill move through him as he saw the old man’s face, for once the man’s nature not hidden behind twinkling eyes and slightly ‘eccentric’ behavior. There was a cold, hard look in the man’s eyes.

            After several moments of searching the closet, the Headmaster made a frustrated sound and slammed the doors closed. He slammed them so hard they bounced back open slightly. Harry and Severus were left with a clear view of the room.

            They both relaxed as the Headmaster turned away and Harry let out the breath he had been holding. They watched as he opened the bottom drawer of the desk in one corner of the room and then said, “Aha!”

            Dumbledore sat down and pulled a bottle of firewhisky and a glass out of the bottom drawer. He shut the drawer and then opened another. He pulled a portrait out of the drawer and set it on the desk. Dumbledore closed the drawer and put his feet up on the desk.

            Harry frowned in the half light of the armoire. The man in the portrait looked familiar. From the sudden, sharp inhale he heard Snape take Harry guessed the Snape recognized the man in the portrait.

            “Albus,” the man in the portrait said. His voice was cold and indifferent. “What have you done now?”

            “Ah, Gellert, my love, you wound me,” Dumbledore said in a cool voice Harry had trouble believing came from Dumbledore.

            Harry’s eyes widened. _Gellert? Gellert Grindelwald?! And did Dumbledore just call him ‘my love’?!_

            Gellert made a sound of disgust. “So you’ve just brought me out to complain again. What is it now? More problems with that Potter boy?”

            Dumbledore poured himself a glass of firewhisky. “Do you know, Gellert, I honestly thought those muggle relatives of his were the best choice?”

            A resigned expression came to Gellert’s face and he seemed to settle himself more comfortably against his frame, as if he had heard this a hundred times before.

            “I was so certain, with the way that woman treated Lily, her own sister, that the brat wouldn’t live to see his second birthday,” Dumbledore said, sounding annoyed. “They wouldn’t even beat him! They didn’t starve him either as I had first thought when he came to Hogwarts. The brat was just small.” Dumbledore took a sip of his firewhisky. “They couldn’t, though, because they worried about the people where he attended school noticing. I’m sure they wanted to. They _did_ keep him locked in a cupboard under the stairs and they made sure he knew he was unwanted. They let his cousin and his cousin’s friends bully him and beat him.  That’s some consolation, I suppose.”

            Harry felt his face flush with shame as he felt Snape tense next to him. He had never intended for Snape to find out about the way he had been treated at his muggle relative’s house.

            “And what brought this up again?” Gellert asked in a bored voice.

            Dumbledore grimaced. “I had to ask Remus Lupin back to fill the DADA post. There was an attack and the DADA instructor that I had was killed.”

            Gellert snorted. “Lucky for you. Usually you have to put in more effort to get rid of the DADA instructors even after those rumors you started about the post being cursed.”

            “It would be quite inconvenient for me if a competent DADA professor were to teach here, much less stay,” Dumbledore said with a one shouldered shrug. “And I had a hard enough time getting rid of Lupin the last time he was here.”

            “Ah, yes. Your plan to prevent him from getting his Wolfsbane potion. I believe you said the plan had the added benefits of ridding you of Potter and Snape. Tell me, has that Potions Master of yours figured out the correct formula yet?”

            “No,” Dumbledore said, disgruntled. “After all the trouble I went through to remove all traces of the formula of the Wolfsbane potion from the world and Snape had to manage to recreate it on his own. At least he hasn’t managed to find the correct formula. I doubt it would ever occur, even to him, to add moonstone dew.”

            “Didn’t you say no one would ever be able to recreate the potion at all? That was why you went to the trouble of killing those few Potions Masters that had known of it and destroying all of the records of it. And yet, this young wizard managed to discover at least part of the formula on his own,” Gellert said mockingly.

             “I always knew he was too smart. That’s why I tried to get rid of him while he was still a student. With his interest in potions I knew he could become a problem,” Dumbledore grumbled.

            “So you used the _imperio_ curse on that Black boy and had him set up the Snape boy to be killed by Lupin while they were still in school. Didn’t quite work out, though, did it?” Gellert asked.

            Harry’s eyes widened. _What?_

            “That was certainly an unforeseen complication,” Dumbledore said with distaste.

            “And the reason you have kept the werewolf away from Hogwarts all of these years?” Gellert asked archly.

            Dumbledore shook his head. “At first, certainly. But the last time I brought him here to fill the DADA position he and the Potter brat became quite close. All the effort I went to to remove all traces of the Wolfsbane formula from the world and then choosing an infant wizard to be infected…all gone to waste because of the damn potions-loving Slytherin and that stupid Potter child!” Dumbledore finished in disgust.

            “Actually, I think your plan to have your own werewolf weapon started going down hill when the binding spells you performed on the child were destroyed when he became a werewolf. I told you it was a flawed theory that the spells would work despite the werewolf’s nature that would prevent them as long as you performed the spells before the child was turned,” Gellert said.

            “And if that weren’t bad enough,” Dumbledore continued as if the portrait hadn’t spoken, “the werewolf practically adopted Potter! Fortunately, I have been able to keep him away with supposed missions and the like. With Molly, her two youngest and that Granger girl working for me, I have been able to keep Potter under control. That werewolf, though, only gets in the way!”

            “Ah, yes, the Patronus charm,” Gellert said. “The boy is quite powerful to have managed that. I still do not see why you don’t merely do as you have done with all of the other students who have shown such…potential.”

            Dumbledore lifted an eyebrow. “I am surprised to hear you say that, love. Was it not this very issue that led to our…parting of ways?”

            Gellert glared. “‘Parting of ways’? Is that how you describe the fact that you murdered me because I couldn’t stomach the thought of murdering innocent children and destroying their souls?”

            “Gellert, my love, look at me! I am nearly three hundred years old and I still pass for less than a hundred! I have more power than any other wizard and my soul is far from the black, twisted thing you suggested it would become.” Dumbledore took another sip of his firewhisky.

            “Yes,” Gellert sneered. “And all you have had to do to manage it is to take note of any students of great power or potential over the years as you served as Headmaster of Hogwarts, wait for them to reach their full potential and then arrange for them to meet with an ‘unfortunate accident.’ Oh, and make sure no one ever catches you murdering those students and absorbing their souls.”

            “You make it sound so simple, Gellert!” Dumbledore said in amusement. “I assure you, it was quite difficult to murder so many students without causing any suspicions. Why, I can’t tell you how many times I have had to make summer visits or pluck the sweet fruit before it was fully ripened.”

            “And the fact that by absorbing their souls you gained the years they had left to live was never a factor in that,” Gellert said. “Or the fact that they younger they are, the more purity they contain and the more your own soul is purified when you absorbed their souls.”

            “Well, I will admit that at times it has taken a bit more to cleanse my soul enough for my activities to go unnoticed,” Dumbledore said as if conceding a minor point in a serious discussion.

            “And you will never give up your title of most powerful, most respected wizard, will you?” Gellert asked. “That’s why you hate the Potter boy so much. He threatens to take your title. Again, I don’t see what is stopping you from simply doing as you have with all the others.”

            “He is too visible,” Dumbledore said with a trace of petulance in his tone. “I had hoped his muggle relatives would remove him from my list of problems. When that didn’t work I tried to have him marked as the next Dark Lord, but that stupid prophecy came to light. I will need him to get rid of another problem I must deal with. But once he has served that purpose, I will certainly be attaining that power he holds.” Again, Dumbledore took a sip of firewhisky. “And a few others as well.”

            “And what grand plan have you concocted this time?” Gellert asked.

            “I have convinced the Potter brat that he needs to perform the Three Souls ritual. He will bind himself to the Weasley boy and the Granger girl I have paid well to keep him in line for me. They think they will be getting a portion of his power in payment for going through with the ritual.” Dumbledore gave the portrait a dark smile. “They are only of average power, but they will be a nice bonus.”

            “And they will take some of Potter’s power from him so that he will no longer be a threat to your title as ‘world most powerful wizard,’” Gellert sneered. “How do you plan to get rid of him if he is too visible to take care of now?”

            “He and his friends will simply die in the final battle,” Dumbledore said calmly.

            Gellert frowned. “The final battle? And just who are these _children_ battling?”

            Dumbledore smiled widely. “Ah, but you will remember ‘Lord Voldemort,’ my love. He was known as Tom Riddle once.”

            Gellert suddenly looked disgusted. “That poor boy you abused?”

            “Now, now. There was never any reason to be jealous, Gellert. You had been gone for years and, well, a man gets…lonely,” Dumbledore said, taking another sip of firewhisky.

            “He was a child,” Gellert said in disgust and anger.

            “He was man enough to come to my bed quite eagerly. And fifteen is not so young,” Dumbledore said.

            “You are forgetting the two years prior to that when he came to your bed under the Imperius charm,” Gellert said angrily.

            Dumbledore shrugged. “He could not have minded so much. He came to me begging me to take him back as my ‘apprentice’ years after I had set him aside.”

            “He is this ‘Dark Lord’ that the Potter boy must defeat for you? I am not surprised. After years of abuse at your hands and learning dark spells at your side, the boy was bound to become something quite damaged,” Gellert said, disgusted and grim.

            Harry faintly wondered if Snape was feeling the urge to vomit as he was. A quick peek showed that the Potions Master was looking quite grim.

            “Now, Gellert, that was quite harsh.” Dumbledore poured yet another glass of firewhisky and then downed the entire glass in one swallow. Then he put the bottle and the glass back into the bottom drawer of the desk. As he sat up again, he smothered a yawn. “And on that note, I believe it is time to say goodnight. Goodnight, love.”

            Gellert glared and turned his back. Dumbledore picked the portrait up and put it back in the desk. He then stood and stripped down to his skin and then crawled into bed. He left the lights on and soon he began to snore.

            Harry started to step out of the closet, but Snape grabbed his arm and shook his head. Harry looked over and saw he was staring at Dumbledore intensely. Harry turned and tried to see what had caught the Slytherin’s attention. He figured it out nearly half an hour later when the Headmaster’s breathing deepened and the snoring stopped. Harry wondered if the old wizard routinely pretended to sleep or if he had actually suspected someone was in his room.

            Snape reached out and slowly pushed the door to the armoire open, never taking his eyes off of the sleeping form lying in the bed. He pulled Harry out with him and then reached back to close the door as much as it had been before they had stepped out. They moved slowly and quietly across the room and then slipped through the bedroom door.

            Once in the sitting room they moved more quickly. Severus removed the wards from the door to the Headmaster’s office while Harry kept an eye on the bedroom door. They slipped out of the private quarters and into the office and Snape replaced the wards on the door. They still said nothing as they left the office and headed down to the dungeons.

            Harry was still so stunned from everything they had over heard, he took no notice when they reached Snape’s office and the man warded the door behind them and then ushered Harry across the room and through the door on the other side of the room. Harry didn’t notice he was in Snape’s private quarters until the man pushed him down into a sofa armchair near the fire and handed him a glass.

            Harry blinked down at the glass in his hand. He stared at the glass while Snape sat across from him and drank his own glass of whatever it was. Suddenly, Harry couldn’t stand the silence any longer.

            “Can you imagine?” Harry asked quietly. “All of that…all those sick things he’s done that he’s just calmly sitting there chatting about…All those horrible things he brings up in casual conversation…My god, can you even imagine just how much more he must have done? If that’s just an evening’s musings, what else has he done in the past _three hundred_ years?” Harry drank the entire contents of his glass in one swallow after he finished talking.

            Harry started choking as soon as he had swallowed. Tears streamed down his face and his face felt hot. He felt the liquid burning a trail down his throat and through his chest.

            “I am pleased to see that despite all of your ‘adventures’ this is your first taste of firewhisky,” Severus said.

            After finding the binding spells and seeing what was in that private lab, Severus was not as shocked as Harry at the depth of darkness the Headmaster had fallen into. It was the details that were stuck in Severus’ mind, floating around, first one and then another coming into focus before being replaced.

            The truth of Harry’s home-life with Lily’s sister was an especially sharp truth to accept. Then there was the fact that Dumbledore had attempted to get him killed. Dumbledore was responsible for Lupin’s infection and the reason Severus could not make a perfected Wolfsbane potion.

            Severus shook his head. He needed time to think this over, but more than that he needed to talk this over with someone. He needed to go see Lucius. He had a feeling Harry would feel better speaking with someone he was closer with about this as well.

            As Harry finally caught his breath, Severus drained his glass and then stood. “Wait here,” he said before heading into one of the other rooms in his quarters.

            Harry sat there breathing deeply and trying to not think about what he had learned in the Headmaster’s quarters. After several minutes, Snape came back into the room. Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Snape held up a hand and kept walking. Harry watched him disappear into his office. Again, the man was gone for a few minutes before he returned.

            “I have firecalled Lucius. The Weasley twins should be waiting for you at Malfoy Manor and I sent Draco to get Lupin. Come,” Severus said as he came back into the room. Harry looked at the man with wide eyes. “I had thought that you would be more comfortable speaking with them than with me.”

            Harry followed Snape into the room he had first gone into after they had finished their drinks. Harry assumed this was where he had firecalled Lucius. As he walked in, his guess was confirmed. There was a large fireplace in the room and little else.

            “Dumbledore doesn’t know this is here, does he?” Harry asked.

            “No. It took several years to make this without his knowledge. It is connected only to Malfoy Manor and so is not on the registry for the Floo system connections,” Severus said as he took a handful of Floo powder and tossed it into the fireplace. “You go ahead. As I said, the Weasley twins should be waiting for you. I will wait and bring Lupin.”

            Harry nodded and stepped into the green flames. He stumbled out of the fireplace at Malfoy Manor and landed right in the arms of two tall, muscular redheads.

            “Harry!” Fred and George said together, both voices filled with concern.

            “I’ve set up a room for you. This way,” Lucius said, surprisingly gentle.

            The concerned twins ushered Harry along, each with an arm wrapped around him. Harry relaxed slowly into the comfort their touch brought.

            Lucius stopped by a door and gestured with one hand before leaving them alone. Harry and the twins stepped into the room and closed the door behind them. Harry started to head for the sofa, but he stopped when he saw a small table in the center of the room. On the table was a pensieve.

            Harry didn’t know whether it was Lucius or Snape that had thought to provide the pensieve, but he was grateful to whoever it was. He didn’t want to have to repeat every word he had heard in the Headmaster’s room.

            “Harry?” Fred asked, sounding even more worried and concerned.

            Harry stepped away from the twins and walked over to the pensieve. He used his wand and pulled out the silvery strands of memory and then dropped them into the pensieve. He waved at the pensieve, indicating the twins should take a look, and then he wearily dropped onto the sofa.

            Fred and George warily approached the pensieve and then leaned over. Harry let his mind wander while they viewed his memories. He kept his focus on pleasant thoughts. At least he tried. He closed his eyes and focused on thoughts of his dates with Draco.

            Harry jumped when he felt the sofa on either side of him suddenly dip. He opened his eyes to see Fred on one side of him and George on the other. As he looked at them they both reached out and wrapped their arms around Harry, holding him tightly between them.

            “I never thought I would ever feel sorry for Voldemort,” Harry said in a quiet, dazed voice. The arms around him tightened.

            “We’re sorry, Harry,” Fred and George whispered into his ears.

            Harry took a deep breath and, despite his best efforts, he let it out on a sob. His body shook violently as he sobbed. He cried for the cold-hearted decision to condemn him to the hell that was living with his muggle relatives. He cried for the life taken from Remus, the life of a normal wizard unhindered by the prejudices against werewolves. He cried for the victims of that old man and, yes, he cried for the poor boy that suffered years of horrific abuse at Dumbledore’s hands and then grew up to become the Dark Lord.

            He cried for the false friendships that had meant so much to him and the feeling of belonging to a family that had come with Mrs. Weasley’s annoying mothering. He cried for the hope he had lost when he lost Sirius. He cried for what could have been if things had been different between him and Snape, if his mother had made different choices.

            Everything that had been building up in him, that he had kept bottled up, everything his apathy had been protecting him from, just poured out of him with his tears. For the first time in his life he just let go. All the tears he had never cried when he was locked in his cupboard, when he was called a freak, when he was nearly killed, when his friend deserted him in his fourth year, all of the tears that had built up in his life just poured out.

            Harry had no idea how long he cried, but as the tears slowed he became aware of Remus kneeling down in front of him, holding his hands and looking extremely worried. Harry pulled one of his hands free and wiped at his face. He gave Remus a sheepish smile and said, “Hey, Remy. When did you get here?”

            “A little while ago. What’s wrong, Harry?” Remus asked, extremely worried for Harry.

            Harry lost his smile and pointed towards the pensieve. Remus turned and looked. Harry could tell he had not noticed it before from the frown the werewolf gave the bowl. Remus gave Harry a worried, curious look and slowly rose and walked over to the small table.

            Harry blew his nose on the handkerchief that one of the twins produced for him and worked to even out his breathing. Remus lifted his head from the pensieve with a gasp. He was shaking as he turned back to Harry. He came back and dropped to his knees in front of Harry and grabbed his hands again.

            Harry squeezed Remus’ hands trying to comfort him. Harry guessed that this was probably even more difficult for Remus than for him. Remus had just found out that the man he had greatly respected had been the one responsible for not only him becoming a werewolf, but also for Remus nearly killing both Harry and Severus, two people he cared for.

            After a long silence, George said, “Well, we already knew we needed to take care of that bastard.”

            “Yeah,” Fred said, “only now we don’t have to worry about ‘reining in those Slytherins,’ do we, Remus?”

            Remus gave a weak laugh. “No, I guess not. It would seem Lucius’ idea to have Severus poison him was not altogether too outrageous after all.”

            The small group gave strained laughs at that.

            Suddenly the door opened and Draco came into the room. They heard Narcissa’s voice, “Draco, I think Harry might want to be alone with his-”

            “If something’s wrong, I’m going to be there!” Draco said over his shoulder as he came into the room.

            Draco shut the door behind him before he looked at the occupants in the room. His eyes widened as he caught sight of Harry’s face. Harry had obviously been crying. The Weasley twins were even more serious than they had been when they had told Harry of Weasel and Granger’s betrayal and the werewolf looked shaken. Draco started to move forward to comfort Harry, but he stopped as he saw the twins with their arms wrapped around him.

            Draco glared at the redheads. “Weasleys, you can get your own fiancés!”

            Harry gave a choked laugh and the twins grinned.

            “Ah, but Harry’s so cute!” Fred said.

            “Yeah,” George said. “Maybe we can convince Harry-”

            Draco scowled. “Absolutely not! Harry’s mine and I’m keeping him!”

            Fred, George and Remus all burst out laughing and Harry blushed at Draco’s words. Draco glared at them all and walked over to Harry. Fred and George held their hands up in a gesture of surrender and stood up to let Draco sit beside Harry. Instead, Draco dropped into Harry’s lap. Harry gave a soft laugh and brought his hands up around the blond’s waist.

            Draco wrapped his arms around Harry’s neck and quietly asked, “What’s wrong, Harry?”

            Harry pressed his face to Draco’s neck and shook his head. “Later, Draco. Just let me hold you for a bit?” Harry asked softly.

            Draco ran his hands through Harry’s hair and held him.

************************************

            Draco turned from the pensieve and the memories he had just viewed. He looked at Harry, sleeping on the sofa. He walked over and gently lifted Harry up until he could slide in next to the Gryffindor. Draco leaned his back against the arm of the sofa and Harry laid against his chest. Draco ran his hands through Harry’s hair. He knew how much Harry liked that.

            Fred, George and Remus watched the blond hold Harry close.

            “You really care about him, don’t you?” Remus asked with a small smile.

            Draco tightened his hold on Harry briefly before shifting and then raising Harry’s hand to show the others the ring Harry was wearing. He didn’t say a word. As Remus, Fred and George were all purebloods they recognized the gesture for what it was; they didn’t need the words. Remus nodded and smiled at Draco.

            “I look forward to the wedding,” Remus said.

            Draco blushed and looked down at Harry for a bit. Then he looked up and gave Remus a curious look. Remus knew what Draco was wondering about-he wanted to know about the incidents where Remus had nearly killed Severus and Harry. Remus gave him a sad smile.

            “Ask me after the wedding,” Remus said.

            Draco nodded and then turned his attention back to Harry. Remus and the twins exchanged looks. They had known for years that these two were interested in each other, but seeing the two of them now, they could see how close the two had grown, see how much they cared for each other. It was no less than Harry deserved.

***********************************

            In the study, Lucius and Severus sat next to the fire, each with a glass of brandy in his hand. The pensieve was still on the desk and was still filled with Severus’ memories. The silence stretched out between them, broken only by the occasional pop or crackle of the fire.

            “I still say you should just poison the old fool,” Lucius said before taking sip of brandy.

            Severus took a sip of his own drink. “I admit, the idea grows more and more tempting.”


	30. Plans

            Harry laid there on the sofa in Malfoy Manor with Draco cuddled up to him, fast asleep.  Harry had been awake for quite awhile, at least a couple of hours, thinking. He had his cheek pressed to the top of Draco’s head and he was unconsciously stroking his hands up and down Draco’s back.

            So much had changed for Harry in such a short time. Ron and Hermione were his enemies, Draco and Snape were important to him, and he was planning his _wedding_ with the help of Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy. Ever since finding out about Snape and then the binding spells and then _Dumbledore_ , Harry had just been reacting, dealing with things as they come up and not putting much thought into what came next. Even the little planning he had done for the future had been spur of the moment.

            It was time for Harry to put some serious thought into his future.

 

***********************************

 

            Remus leaned against the decorative stone railing surrounding the patio and looked out over the gardens of Malfoy Manor. The gardens were beautiful, as might be expected of late April, but the sight did nothing to soothe Remus.

            Remus was distracted from his troubled thoughts by the soft sound of approaching footsteps. Remus didn’t turn. Only one person he knew walked that softly with that particular rhythm. He inhaled deeply as a slight breeze brought to him the delicious scent that belonged only to Severus.

            When Severus reached the railing, he also looked out over the garden rather than turning to face Remus. They stood together in silence for several moments. Remus didn’t know what to say, so he waited for Severus to speak.

            “Did you know?” Severus asked, his voice quiet. “Did Harry ever tell you how those muggles treated him?”

            Remus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “He didn’t tell me much at first, but over the years I got the whole story from him.” Remus saw Severus clench his fists. “It was even worse than Dumbledore said. Harry wasn’t just locked in the cupboard under the stairs, it was his _bedroom_. The only clothes he was allowed to have were his cousin’s castoffs that were at least six sizes to big. And while those muggles didn’t starve him _to death_ , there were times when Harry had gone without food. In the summer, when he wasn’t attending school, there were even stretches of _days_ when Harry had gone without food. Supposedly as punishment for some wrong or other, but mostly just because he was, in his muggle relative’s words, ‘a freak.’”

            Severus growled. “I want their address. I’m sure if I told the Dark Lord what a blow it would be to Harry Potter if his muggle relatives were to be killed, he would not hesitate to go after them.”

            Remus shook his head. “That won’t be necessary, Severus.” When Severus turned to him with a look of fury on his face, Remus shook his head again. “As soon as they were no longer necessary to keep Harry safe, I…dropped by.”

            Severus raised an eyebrow. “On the night of the full moon?”

            Remus rolled his eyes. “No. I didn’t do any physical damage. From what Harry had told me of them, I didn’t need to. Nothing was more important to those people than their reputations and their positions in their community.” Remus gave Severus a wicked grin with a slightly malicious edge. “So I disguised myself as a homeless person and wandered around the community telling their neighbors just how _kind_ the Dursleys were for letting me stay with them.” Remus’ grin grew. “And when I found the neighborhood gossip, second to Petunia Dursley of course, I had even more fun. I acted like I wasn’t very bright and ‘accidentally’ let slip details of the Dursleys’ private lives. Petunia was kicked out of all of her social clubs and her husband was demoted several levels. They moved, twice. Each time they settled down, I’d start the rumors again. The last time they moved I sent stories about them to a tabloid.”

            Severus grudgingly conceded that that was not bad…for a start. “I still think a visit from the Dark Lord is needed,” he growled.

            Remus shook his head again. “Harry asked me not to kill them. I think he would feel guilty if anything like that happened to him.”

            Severus growled in frustration, but he didn’t argue. Harry had mentioned feeling sorry for _the Dark Lord_ , so Severus could believe he would feel guilty if anything happened to those horrible muggles.

 

**********************************

 

            “Harry?”

            Harry lifted his cheek from the top of Draco’s head and looked towards the door. Remus was standing just inside the room looking apologetic.

            “We need to get back to the school before we are missed,” Remus said.

            Harry nodded and looked down at Draco. “Draco,” Harry said. He smiled when the blond mumbled angrily and snuggled closer. “Come on, Draco. We have to get up and go back to Hogwarts.” Draco lifted his head and pouted at Harry.  Harry laughed and gave Draco a little squeeze. Sighing dramatically, Draco sat up and then stood.

            “Fred and George have already gone back to their shop,” Remus said. “Severus is waiting for us in the hall.” With that Remus turned and left.

            As Harry and Draco started to follow, Harry remembered something he had been meaning to ask Draco. “Draco?” Draco stopped and turned back to Harry. “Do you think you could arrange for a private meeting for me with Crabbe and Goyle?”

            Draco looked startled and then he frowned. “Why would you want to meet with Vince and Greg?”

            “I need their help with something.” Seeing Draco getting ready to ask more questions, Harry said, “I don’t want to say anything yet in case it doesn’t work out.”

            Draco wanted to argue, but after seeing Harry so upset earlier and  with the pleading look Harry was giving him, he gave in. “Alright, I’ll talk to them.”

            Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around Draco’s waist and hugged him quickly. “Thanks, Draco.” Harry kissed the tip of Draco’s nose. Draco really did have a cute nose and the way he wrinkled it just a tiny bit every time Harry kissed it…!

            “Harry? Draco?” Severus called from the hallway.

            The two quickly left the room and joined their professors. In only a few moments, the four were back at Hogwarts in Severus’ private quarters.

 

**********************************

            The next day, Harry checked the time and then resumed his pacing in the dusty classroom. Draco had said Crabbe and Goyle had agreed to help, but they were late. Harry wondered if they had changed their minds. Harry turned quickly when he heard the door to the classroom open. He was relieved to see the two big Slytherins enter.

            Before Harry could ask, Goyle said, “We had trouble avoiding Peeves.”

            Harry nodded and then took a deep breath. “Okay, so do you remember when I said at the meeting that I had an idea for how we could get to the other two Houses?” Both Slytherins nodded. “Well, I’m going to need your help. Do you have any problems putting aside the House rivalries and working with Gryffindors?”

            Harry grinned when they looked at him like he was an idiot for even asking. “We’re here, aren’t we?” Crabbe asked, politely.

            Harry’s grin grew. He still couldn’t believe the difference between these two and the images they projected. Harry shook his head. “Just checking. Let’s go then.”

            “Go where?” Goyle asked cautiously.

            “To meet the Gryffindors you two will be working with. I’ll explain when we get where we are going. I mostly wanted to be sure you had no problems with what I had planned before taking you to meet them. Besides, this classroom isn’t a very comfortable place to have a long conversation.” Harry left the classroom with Crabbe and Goyle following him. “Oh, I also wanted to ask if either of you would mind if I used your first names. You can call me ‘Harry’ if you like,” Harry said over his shoulder.

            Harry caught the look they shared before they both shrugged. “Sure,” Goyle said.

            Harry grinned. “Great.”

            He led them through several corridors before reaching the door to a storage closet. Using the particular knock he had been instructed to use, Harry waited for the door to open. When it opened, he stood aside and motioned for the Slytherins to enter first. Once they were inside, Harry warded the door behind him.

            “Harry?” Colin Creevey asked nervously.

            Harry smiled reassuringly. “Colin, Dennis, I think you know Vince and Greg. Greg, Vince, this is Colin Creevey and his brother Dennis.” The younger Gryffindors looked at the big Slytherins nervously. Vince and Greg nodded politely. “I’ve asked the four of you for your help with something, but before we get to my plan, Colin, Dennis, I need to ask you two a few questions. Maybe we could have a seat and talk?”

            Harry looked around the storage room the Creeveys used as one of their hideouts. The room was rather cozy with old and broken furniture transfigured into worn but comfortable seating and torches along the walls and two makeshift fireplaces made out of old cauldrons.

            After the others had taken their seats, the Slytherins on one sofa and the Creeveys on another, Harry sat in an armchair between them. “Now, I’m pretty sure you two are not Death Eater wannabes…?” Harry raised his eyebrows and waited until both Creeveys shook their heads frantically and then he nodded. “But what I really need to know is _who_ your loyalty lies with ultimately. If you had to choose between believing me and, say, Dumbledore who would you give your loyalty to?”

            Neither Creevey answered right away, first sharing a look and then frowning thoughtfully. Harry was glad they hadn’t answered immediately. He preferred knowing that they had honestly thought about the question and could answer with conviction.

            “That’s not an easy question, Harry,” Colin said. “We usually think of you and the Headmaster as being on the same side, as being, well, a pair. The Headmaster had fought in both this war and the one that came before and he has a lot of experience…”

            “But you’ve actually faced You-Know-Who personally and you’ve been the one who has had to take all the biggest risks in the war: having to deal with people saying you’re crazy and then everyone expecting you to defeat him again,” Dennis said.

            Silence fell again as both boys considered Harry’s question. Watching them share a look, Harry again thought the Creevey brothers seemed more like twins than brothers born a year apart. They turned to Harry after several long minutes of silence.

            “I’d have to say, you’d have my loyalty, Harry,” Colin said slowly. “I mean, I know you personally, certainly much better than the Headmaster and after you taught the DA I am sure that what you want is to end the war and protect people.” Colin shrugged.

            Dennis nodded. “I’d say the same. After training with you in the DA, I’d trust you much more than anyone else when it comes to this war.”

            Harry was glad the Creeveys had such solid answers. It made it easier to trust them with what he was about to say. “I’m glad you feel that way. You see, the question was not exactly a hypothetical question. Some information has come to light about Dumbledore and those few people who know of this information can‘t stand the thought of remaining on Dumbledore‘s side. Others have long since suspected Dumbledore wasn’t what he appeared to be, to the extent that I have heard Voldemort described as the lesser evil.” Harry’s brows rose as he gave the Creeveys a significant look.

            Colin and Dennis were looking at Harry with horror on their faces. “Some good news would be good, Harry,” Dennis said.

            “Would you settle for some hopeful news?” Harry asked.

            “I’d settle for anything but more bad news,” Colin said, sounding shaken by Harry’s claim that Dumbledore wasn’t one of the good guys after all.

            Harry leaned forward slightly. “Dumbledore and Voldemort don’t have to be the only two options. I’m creating a third side in this war. I’m hoping you two will join me. Unlike either of the two sides currently available, I’m not going to pay any attention to House rivalries,” Harry said, indicating the two silent Slytherins. “I’m recruiting from all the Houses of Hogwarts and I’m not only accepting people who have defected from Dumbledore’s side.” Again, Harry gave the Creevey brothers a significant look.

            The brothers shared another look. Harry gave them a few minutes to consider what he had said. Finally, after some kind of silent message seemed to pass between them, they turned back to Harry.

            “What can we do, Harry?” Colin asked.

            Harry leaned back in his chair. “As you can see, I’ve pretty much got Slytherin and Gryffindor Houses covered. However, I don’t have any way to recruit people from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff…” Harry trailed off. The brothers groaned and gave Harry a pleading look.

            “Harry,” Colin said desperately.

            “You wouldn’t really ask that of us would you,” Dennis said with a wince.

            Harry smiled. “Well, I thought you might feel that way, which is why I’ve asked Vince and Greg to help.” Harry leaned forward and whispered so that only Colin and Dennis could hear him. “Tell me, did I guess right?” He grinned. “Are they just the type of guys you two have decided you can’t get to notice you?”

            Colin and Dennis looked at Harry with wide eyes before turning to the Slytherins. While Vince and Greg had always had reputations as being idiots, they were not unattractive. In fact, both tall, muscular boys were quite handsome. Most people didn’t notice, however, because of their reputation for stupidity and their occasional uses as intimidation by other Slytherins.

            Now, the two slender, fair-haired Gryffindors found their eyes roaming over short, dark hair, wide chests and thick, muscular arms. Harry hid a smirk as the Creevey brothers licked their lips and Vince and Greg shared a wary look. Harry would almost have felt sorry for the Slytherins given what he knew of the Creevey brothers’ persistence and determination, except he had seen the looks the Slytherins had given the Gryffindors when they had arrived. He had only caught a glimpse before those Slytherin masks had snapped back into place, but he saw enough to be fairly certain his plan was going to work.

            “Perhaps you could tell us what you are planning?” Vince asked warily.

            “What exactly do you need us for?” Greg asked, just as wary.

            “Colin has friends in Ravenclaw and Dennis has friends in Hufflepuff. They can get an idea of who might be open to joining us and who we might need to keep an eye on or worry about,” Harry started. “The only problem is that some of the girls get a little…overzealous. There are going to be times, probably quite often, when they are going to need to be rescued. That’s where you two come in. We are going to have to be careful that others don’t notice what you are doing, but I think you two should be able to manage that,” Harry finished dryly.

            “You need us to rescue them?” Greg asked neutrally.

            “From a bunch of girls?” Vince asked skeptically.

            The Creeveys blushed and winced. Harry winced in sympathy. “Trust me. I would rather face a thousand year old basilisk than a bunch of girls trying to flirt with me.” Colin and Dennis nodded emphatically.

            “Of course,” Harry continued, “that’s not all you need to do. This might have been my idea, but I’m pretty much leaving the entire operation in your hands.” Harry indicated the four of them. “You are going to need to coordinate so that you,” Harry looked at the Slytherins, “are available and ready to help them whenever they met up and talk with the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. And while girls might be the ones you are rescuing them from the most often, you are also going to need to keep an eye out for anyone who gets suspicious or might want to cause trouble.”

            “So?” Harry asked after a long moment of silence. “What do you say? Will you guys do it?” He looked at each of the other four occupants in the room in turn. The Creeveys nodded after a moment.

            “Draco is not going to be happy to find out you plan to leave the entire operation in our hands,” Greg said.

            Harry shrugged. “Maybe. But this is the only way we can get an insight into the other Houses without risking involving people we don’t trust.” Vince and Greg looked at each other and then they shrugged. Harry smiled. “Great. Well, I’ll just go and let you guys talk things over. Just keep in mind, Draco’s probably going to want a report soon.”

            Harry stood and left the storage room wearing a small smirk. Yes, his plan was going to work.

 

************************************

 

            “What do you mean you left everything in Vince’s and Greg’s hands?” Draco asked later that night as he and Harry cuddled in front of the fireplace in Remus’ office.  Remus had agreed to let them borrow his office for the night after getting Harry to promise that things would go no further than kissing between Harry and Draco.

            “Draco, they are a lot smarter than they let people know and I think they are the perfect match with the Creeveys,” Harry said. Suddenly he grinned. “In more ways than one.”

            Draco looked at Harry in disbelief. “You are trying to set Vince and Greg up with the Creevey brothers?”

            “Why not? From what I saw, they liked the idea. All of them did. In fact, I think I’ve figured out the perfect way to over come the Slytherin/Gryffindor rivalry.”

            “You’re going to start matchmaking?” Draco asked incredulously. He could not believe the turn this conversation had taken. All he had wanted to know was what Harry had needed Vince and Greg’s help with and now his fiancé was telling him he was planning to start pairing up their classmates.

            “I think Pansy and Lavender will be next,” Harry said thoughtfully. “It’ll be a little harder to get those two together.”

            “Harry, they’re not gay!”

            “Minor detail.”

            Draco looked at Harry and wondered if crazy people know they are crazy. Apparently not, if Harry was any indication.

            Harry noticed Draco looking at him as if he had lost his mind. “Oh, come on, Draco! _Pansy_ and _Lavender_?! They were made for each other!”

            “Because of their names?!”

            “No, because Lavender’s much more sneaky and cunning then you know. I think it’s a girl thing, actually. Besides, I happen to know they both love fashion, shopping and this singer called Jalina Sparrow,” Harry said.

            “That’s as crazy as-” Draco started to say.

            “You and me?” Harry cut in. “Blaise and Neville?”

            Draco shook his head. “Fine, but don’t expect me to help. I’ll sneak in and visit you in the infirmary, though.”


	31. Full Moon

            At the end of the first week of May, two weeks after Harry and Severus’ trip to the Headmaster’s private quarters, Harry sat in a chair in the corner of Snape’s office waiting for Snape. He was enjoying the chance to just relax. The past two weeks had been hectic.

            With NEWTs just a month away, Harry and his study partners had been meeting as often as possible, which wasn’t that much more often than usual given that the last Quidditch game of their time at Hogwarts was next week and it was a Slytherin/Gryffindor game so Harry and Draco both had to go to extra practices. They also made time for a few extra dates, both a little worried how the outcome of the game was going to impact their relationship.

            On top of all of that, Harry had been meeting with Remus in the afternoons and he had detentions every night with Snape. With the final confrontation with Voldemort looming and with what they had learned of Dumbledore, both men insisted Harry spend the time training with them.

            Harry sighed and settled more comfortably in the chair as he turned the page in the book he was reading. He was tempted to go over to Snape’s desk and look at the work the man had done on getting the Wolfsbane formula right (Snape’s obsession in his limited free time) but Harry was just too tired of studying and training at the moment.

            Harry had just gotten to a good part in the gay romance Blaise had lent him when he heard the door to Snape’s private quarters open. Since Harry knew Snape was in the Slytherin common room dealing with a situation, Harry jumped to his feet and pointed his wand at the door. He lowered it when he saw Lucius step into Snape’s office.

            “Harry? Where’s Severus?” Lucius asked frowning around the room.

            Harry leaned against the chair he had been sitting in. “Slytherin common room. There was a fight or something. Nothing major, but he had to go look into it. What are you doing here?”

            Lucius looked at him for a moment before answering. “I have found the last ingredient Severus needed to remove the binding spells.”

            Harry straightened at Lucius’ words. “Has he told you how long it will take after getting the last ingredient before he could remove them?”

            “It will probably take a few days to get everything ready,” Lucius said.

            Harry grimaced and leaned against the armchair again. “And he’s probably going to want to double check everything, so I should figure at least a week.” Lucius nodded once and they fell into silence.

            The silence was not exactly a comfortable silence. Lucius moved behind Severus’ desk and looked at some of the papers spread over the top. Harry watched Lucius. After a while, Harry couldn’t stand the silence any longer so he asked Lucius a question that had been bothering him for a while now.

            “Why did you hate me so much?” Harry asked. Lucius looked up from Snape’s desk. “I mean, I can understand why Snape hated me and as his best friend I can understand why you might not have liked me either, but I always felt like you hated me even more than he did. Why?” Harry titled his head and looked at Lucius with a puzzled expression on his face.

            Lucius looked back at the desk top for a moment before answering. “Severus hated James Potter, and yes he hated you for being Potter’s son, but no matter what he said, he still cared for Lily. He was angry with her for betraying him. He was bitter. But there was still a little of the love he felt for her mixed in.” Lucius looked up and looked Harry in the eyes. “I had no such problem. I hated Potter and when Lily betrayed Severus I hated her too. I think I hated her even more than Potter. As the son of both of them, yes, I supposed I did hate you more than Severus did.”

            “And now?” Harry asked.

            “There is nothing a Malfoy would not do to protect his family,” Lucius said. “I can respect what Lily did to protect you and Severus. I can even understand her choice of Potter. He was from a pureblood family firmly entrenched in the light. She would be afforded a great deal of protection as his wife and you would be given even more as his heir.”

            Before Harry could think of what to say to that, the door to Snape’s office opened. Harry and Lucius turned to the door, expecting to see Severus. They were just as surprised to see Minerva McGonagall as she was to see them.

            Seeing Harry’s wand in his hand and knowing that Lucius Malfoy was not supposed to be at Hogwarts, McGonagall raised her wand, thinking to at least be prepared should Lucius make a move. It was a good decision as Lucius quickly lifted his wand and sent a stunner and a _Petrificus Totalus_ at her. She managed to deflect the stunner, but the second spell hit her and she toppled to the floor.

            Just as McGonagall hit the floor, Snape came into the room. Seeing the witch on the floor, he quickly shut and warded the door behind him and then looked at his son and his best friend. “What is going on here?” Severus demanded.

            Harry couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing, imagining how the situation must look from the Potions Master’s point of view.

            “Harry, what have you done now?” Severus asked in resignation as Harry laughed.

            Harry’s laughter cut off at the question. “Me? I didn’t do anything! Lucius did it!”

            Lucius, who had watched with a raised brow as Harry had burst into laughter, gave Severus a haughty look as the other man turned to him. “Perhaps we could discuss this after we have _Obliviated_ her and sent her on her way?”

            “Wait, what?” Harry said. “Why would we want to _Obliviate_ her? I mean, shouldn’t we at least give her a chance to join us? She’d be a great person to have on our side, especially since she might be able to help us get other Order members on our side as well.”

            “Harry, she has been at Dumbledore’s side for decades and she works closely with him. It has even been suggested that she is his closest living friend. It wouldn’t be safe,” Lucius said.

            “Especially as she has no skill in Occlumency to my knowledge,” Snape said.

            Harry rolled his eyes. “So we talk to her and if we find any reason to worry we can just wipe her memory later. We can even use Veritaserum if it will make you feel better.” 

            Harry could understand why the two older men were hesitant to let more people in on the situation. As far as they knew, they were a small group trying to work against both sides of the war, each headed by one of the most powerful wizards of their time. They didn’t want to risk either of the major players learning of their plans.

            Harry wished he could reassure them, let them know that they might have many more allies than it seemed at the moment, but he had promised Draco not to mention anything until after their next meeting.

            Severus narrowed his eyes at Harry. The boy was hiding something. “What are you not telling us?”

            “I can’t tell you. Yet. I told you I’d tell you as soon as I can,” Harry said. “Just…trust me.”

            Severus looked at Harry for a long time. Lucius just gave him a raised eyebrow look and stayed quiet. Finally, Severus sighed and walked over to his desk and pulled out a small vial. Harry assumed it was Veritaserum.

            “Oh and your pensieve too,” Harry said.

            Muttering under his breath, Severus left the room and returned shortly with the requested item. Lucius took McGonagall’s wand from her stiff hand and double checked the wards on the door before removing the spell he had put on her. The witch slowly picked herself up off of the floor and looked at the three men in the room with her. Ignoring her surly coworker and the fact that Lucius Malfoy had a wand pointed at her while she was unarmed, McGonagall turned to Harry.

            “Harry, what is going on?” she asked in confusion.

            Harry motioned for her to approach Snape’s desk, where the man had placed the pensieve. He made sure she watched while he removed the silvery strands of his memory and then placed them in the bowl. “I think it would be best if we start with the hardest part for you,” Harry said sympathetically.

            The three wizards waited while the witch viewed Harry’s memories. After a while, she pulled back with a gasp. She gave a distressed moan and stumbled to an empty cauldron in the corner of the room, where she was sick. After, she vanished the vomit and mumbled embarrassed apologies. Harry motioned to one of the chairs in front of Snape’s desk and she sank down into the chair with a shaky sigh.

            “I suppose the most important question is, can you keep this from Dumbledore,” Harry asked seriously.

            McGonagall gave a small nod. “I actually have mastered Occlumency. I am simply not highly skilled at it. I actually use it most often against Albus,” she choked on the name. “I didn’t want to hurt his feelings by letting him find out how much I hate those outrageous outfits of his and how much some of his antics annoy me.”

            “Would you mind if Snape tested your Occlumency? I would rather not take the chance that Dumbledore can slip into your mind but he has hidden it from you. I’m sure the man we saw,” Harry motioned to the pensieve, “wouldn’t really care if you hated his outfits or his antics. He might even see it as a success, that you don’t notice his real personality.”

            Looking horrified, McGonagall nodded. “Of course.”

            Harry stepped back and let Snape move closer to the witch. To Harry’s surprise, both Snape and Lucius Malfoy tested her. Finally, they both seemed satisfied. Harry was surprised the two older men seemed willing to let him lead this…whatever it was. He didn’t like to think it was an interrogation.

            After taking a few moments to collect herself, McGonagall asked, “What were you two doing in his quarters in the first place?”

            Severus answered her, briefly summarizing the events that took place over Christmas break and since. When he finished, McGonagall sat in the chair shaking from horror and outrage.

            “Something has to be done,” she mumbled through the fingers being held against her lips.

            “Well, as you heard me mention earlier,” Harry said, “I was hoping you could help us get some of the Order members on our side. Perhaps you could see if there are any who would be willing to help me even if it meant crossing Dumbledore. You’ll have to be careful that Dumbledore doesn’t find out what you are up to, but…” Harry trailed off and shrugged. “As you said, something needs to be done.”

            “It would still be safer to just _Obliviate_ her,” Lucius drawled, staring at the shaken witch.

            McGonagall pulled herself together and squared her shoulders at the remark. She glared at Lucius. “I may not be a Slytherin, but I am more than capable of being discreet. And I cannot imagine anyone supporting Albus,” again she stumbled over his name, “once they find out about…about…” She waved her hand in the direction of the pensieve.

            “Minerva, you can hardly go around telling people what you saw,” Snape said coldly.

            Harry shook his head. “So, she can choose those she thinks would be willing to support me even without Dumbledore’s endorsement and then she can arrange for a private ‘ _special_ ’ meeting. We can be ready with the pensieve and the Veritaserum and any who fail the test as it were could be _Obliviated_.”

            “At which point, Dumbledore will have any number of unprotected minds to lift the information from,” Lucius said.

            Harry sighed and reached up and rubbed his forehead. “Look, I’m…working on something. If everything works out as I think it will, there will be more options than we have at present. Let’s just let Professor McGonagall start looking for members she thinks might help. She can come to us when she thinks she has identified those who would join us and we can discuss how to recruit them at that time.” Harry looked up and saw that neither of the men looked happy with that suggestion. He sighed again. “Right now, she’s not going to say anything to anyone. She’ll just try to see if we might be able to make a few more allies. It really can’t hurt as long as she’s careful.”

            Neither Severus nor Lucius were pleased with the idea, but with the witch being so close to Dumbledore, they could see the benefits as well as the risks. If nothing else, she might be able to help them keep an eye on the old man.

            “Very well,” Severus said reluctantly. He watched Minerva stand and get ready to leave. “However, before we let her leave with such information…” he continued silkily. When he had everyone’s attention, he held up the vial of Veritaserum.

            Two hours later, Severus and Lucius were finally satisfied that the Deputy Headmistress had been unaware of the Headmaster’s activities and would not report anything she had learned to the old man.

            Minerva McGonagall stood to leave. She was at the door preparing to leave her coworker’s office and just as her hand gripped the doorknob, she turned back with a frown on her face. “I almost forgot. Severus, I had come down here to speak to you about making more potions for the infirmary.”

            Severus frowned. “I will speak with Poppy in the morning.”

            Minerva nodded and left the office, extremely troubled but doing a good job of hiding it.

            Once the witch had left, Severus turned to the other occupants in his office. “And what brought you here, Lucius?”

            “I have brought the last ingredient you needed to remove the binding spells from Harry,” Lucius replied.

            Severus frowned. “With the need to make potions for the infirmary and the full moon coming up, it may be a couple of weeks before I can properly prepare-”

            “Perhaps Cissy and I could help? Just let us know what potions the infirmary needs and we can brew them for you. Certainly, none of the potions that will be needed are beyond our capabilities,” Lucius stated, voice full of arrogance.

            “Hmm,” Severus said, thoughtfully. His eyes drifted over to his desk where his notes on the Wolfsbane potion lay.

            Harry noticed Snape’s attention fall on the notes. “Why don’t you focus on getting Remy past the full moon and then worry about the binding spells? We can do it the day after the Quidditch game.”

            Severus raised an eyebrow. “Provided you are not in the infirmary.”

            Harry rolled his eyes, but didn’t answer.

************************************

            Harry ran his hand through his hair as he made his way down to the dungeons two nights later. He pushed away the anxiety he felt and turned towards the Slytherin common room. Just before he reached the portrait guarding the entrance he dropped his invisibility spell. At the entrance he gave the password, glaring at the arrogant looking man in the portrait when he hesitated for a moment, and then Harry was in the common room.

            Harry nodded at the few wary looks he got, mostly from the youngest Slytherins, and sat a sofa next to the fireplace. It was only a short time later when the older Slytherins, including all of the ones from seventh year, came into the common room. Harry smiled as a pouting blond dropped down next to him.

            Harry put his arm around Draco’s shoulders and kissed his cheek as the others settled into their places around the room.

            “Enough,” Draco said, glaring around the room. When everyone quieted, he turned to Blaise, who had sat just across from Harry and Draco. “Blaise?”

            Blaise nodded and looked at Harry. “I talked with my mother. She agreed, both to hosting the get together for the DE families and for you to…well, your idea for after NEWTs. She seemed to think your idea for a third side in the war was ‘typical of a brash Gryffindor’ but your planning ‘showed the cunning of a Slytherin’ and she was looking forward to seeing how you managed.”

            Harry nodded. “That’s good. We’ll have to see how the first meeting goes, but I might be getting some of the Or-” Harry broke off with a little cough. The Slytherins didn’t know of the Order and it really was too much to get into right now. “That is, I may be getting some of Dumbledore’s allies to join the third side I’m creating.”

            This announcement was met with expressions of surprise and skepticism.

            “You didn’t say anything about that, Harry,” Draco said petulantly.

            “It’s still somewhat in the air right now. I’m not sure how many people will join us, from either side. Although,” Harry gave the Slytherins a smug little grin, “the few people I have managed to recruit, if you will, are still rather impressive.” Harry’s grin grew. _The second in command of both sides and a favorite of one of the leaders we will be going up against. Not bad at all, actually._

            Seeing the Slytherins getting ready to bombard him with questions, Harry quickly changed the subject. “So, Slytherins and Gryffindors, both students and adults, are covered.” He turned to Vince and Greg. “How’s it coming with the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs?”

            The others, except for Draco, looked confused at why Harry had directed the question to those two. Vince and Greg just ignored the looks and answered the question.

            “You weren’t joking about needing to rescue them,” Vince said with a slight scowl.

            Harry hid his smile by turning and pressing his face against Draco’s neck. Draco gave a little huff at the sign that Harry’s matchmaking seemed to be working and Harry’s smile grew. He quickly put a neutral expression on his face and turned back to the others.

            “Nothing you couldn’t manage, I hope?” Harry asked. He almost smiled again when both big Slytherins gave him a look that so resembled the haughty look the Malfoys had perfected. “Right. Well, how did it go? Any news one way or another on any students?”

            “We suspect four Ravenclaws and three Hufflepuffs to be Dark Lord supporters,” Vince said.

            “Twelve Ravenclaws don’t like either the Dark Lord or Dumbledore. They are a little more supportive of you. It seems that with the Dark Lords return, the Ravenclaws have become suspicious of not only the media, but also Dumbledore. That he left during our fifth year left them reluctant to give him their full support,” Greg said.

            “Most of the Hufflepuffs are more supportive of Dumbledore. I think the authority of his position makes them feel safe. They think that Hogwarts is safe because of him and they think he is protecting everyone here,” Vince said.

            “We’re still working on the rest,” Greg finished with a shrug.

            Harry nodded. “Well, that’s certainly better than nothing. It’s good to have identified Voldemort supporters at least.” Harry ignored the winces that name caused. He tilted his head in thought for a long moment and then just shook his head. “Well, for now it seems like the students are covered. Maybe we should get back to the parents. Blaise’s mum has said we could hold the meeting in her house. Now we just need to figure out how to get everyone’s parents to go without giving anything away.”

            “Actually, that will be rather easy,” Draco said smugly. “I was thinking I could just get my father to tell them there is a meeting for the Dark Lord or something similar. I’m sure Blaise’s mother and my parents could manage to set something up that would prevent anyone from leaving without having their true loyalties ascertained. Any who wish to remain loyal to the Dark Lord can be _Obliviated_ before being sent on their way.”

            “Great idea,” Harry said, kissing Draco’s ear. He smirked when he felt Draco shiver. “Now all we need is a date and time for the meeting. I think it should definitely be before NEWTs.”

            The discussion continued for a couple more hours as the students tried to come to an agreement on the timing of the meeting.

************************************

            At the same time as Harry was heading down to the dungeons trying not to worry, Remus and Severus were on the other side of the castle in a little used, little known room. It was in one of the many towers the castle had. One side of the room was sectioned off by strong metal bars with rings along the walls and on the floors for retraining prisoners. Light from the full moon poured into the room from one of the many high windows, leaving it nearly as bright as day.

            Severus sat at the desk he had set up to the other side of the room from the cage. He took notes as he watched the effects of his new formula for the Wolfsbane potion. Remus shifted in the chains, trying to get comfortable. He had been elated and shocked to discover he had remained human even after the full moon rose. At best, he had hoped the new formula would ease the pain and fatigue that normally came with his transformations.

            “Truly, Severus, I am feeling no effects other than my usual fatigue being replaced by an amazing energized sensation,” Remus said. He shifted once more and continued dryly. “And the need to be unrestrained and out of this cage.”

            As the moon passed its zenith, Severus felt comfortable enough with his new formula to remove the chains. He still kept the cage locked, just to be safe. He also had Lupin’s wand beside him on the desk.

            Remus gave a moan of relief as the chains fell from his body. Still, the feeling of being caged bothered him. He began to pace and it seemed to ease the sensation somewhat. As he paced, Severus’ scent would occasionally drift to his nose. He noticed that the scent smelled even more delicious than usual.

            Remus closed his eyes to draw in more of that scent. His eyes popped open and he frowned as he noticed a peculiar sensation. He had no idea how to describe it. “Severus? I feel…strange.”

            Severus, who had been watching Lupin pace, picked up his quill to write down whatever it was that Lupin had noticed. “In what way? Is there any pain? A return of fatigue?”

            Remus shook his head. “No. No pain. Just this…” Remus frowned, trying to think of a way to put it into words. “It’s like the feeling I get when I want to howl when I’ve transformed. But…not quite the same.” Remus paced for several more minutes, trying to place the sensation he was feeling.

            Severus frowned. “Are you feeling the need to transform?”

            Remus shook his head. “No, nothing like that.” He stopped pacing to think. “It’s kind of….tingling. On the inside. Maybe…maybe like I’ve too much energy bottled up inside? I really don’t know how to explain.”

            Remus resumed his pacing as Severus bent over his notes to write. As Remus moved close to the cage door, he felt his feet slow until he stopped directly in front of the cage door, directly across from Severus. He found himself staring intensely at the other man and he never even noticed the wordless, wandless _Alohomora_ he used on the cage door or the way he just walked through the wards Severus had used.

            As Remus silently stalked across the room, Severus suddenly felt the intense stare on him. He raised his head and saw Lupin coming at him. He reached for his wand, but suddenly Lupin moved too fast for him to follow. Lupin was there, knocking his wand out of his hand and pushing him to the ground.

            Remus landed on top of Severus and had to bite back a moan at the feeling of having the other man beneath him. Need and desire swirled within him and that part of himself that he thought of as the wolf stirred, urging him to take what he wanted, what he had wanted for years.

            Remus groaned and pressed his face to Severus’ neck. He couldn’t stop himself from pinning the other man’s hands to the floor next to his head. He shook as he held back from doing anything more. “Sorry, Severus,” Remus mumbled. “Trying not to-” Remus couldn’t continue.

            Severus lay on the ground underneath Lupin and tried to remain calm. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest in a way he didn’t experience even when facing the Dark Lord’s anger. He attempted to position himself so that he could throw the other man off of him or even roll them over so that he was on top. He froze in shock when his movements brought his hips flush against Lupin’s and he felt the erection pressing into him.

            Remus moaned and very gently bit the neck he was pressing his face against. He shook with the force of his lust. It was harder to remain still when the scent of Severus’ fear faded and something else, something more delicious than anything Remus had ever scented before reached his nose.

            Severus’ shock increased a hundredfold when he felt himself begin to respond to the position he found himself in. He couldn’t believe that the feel of another man, of _Lupin_ , holding him down and pressing into him was turning him on. Too many things in his life had made him detest being in a position of weakness or helplessness and yet, here he was, lying under another man, getting aroused by being held down.

            Severus shivered at the feel of teeth against his neck. He tried to push away the lust trying to cloud his mind so that he could figure out what was going on. It wasn’t enough that he had to face the fact that he was attracted to men. No he also had to discover this little kink.

            Some distant part of his mind told him that he wouldn’t enjoy this position with any other man. With any _one_ else, period. Severus didn’t know if that worried him more or less than the possibility that he merely enjoyed the situation in general.

            Above him, Remus was trying to reel in the instincts that were screaming at him. The sweet scent of Severus’ lust was growing stronger and Remus needed to do _something_. He gave small growl and leaned down to place an open mouth kiss on Severus’ neck.

            Severus heard himself groan in response to Lupin’s growl. When Lupin kissed his neck, he couldn’t stop the movement of his hips. He pushed up against the other man’s hips. His actions were rewarded with another growl and then the kiss turned into sucking. Severus groaned again.

            Despite both men’s efforts, their hips began moving against each other. Erections ground together through layers of cloth and groans, moans, and in Remus’ case growls, escaped them.

            Severus panted, no longer thinking of anything but the need for the orgasm that seemed just out of his reach. He gave a slight snarl of frustration, wanting his hands free so that he could touch.

            Remus responded with his fiercest growl yet and pressed down against Severus more firmly. Severus tilted his head back and moaned, spreading his legs wider so that Remus could settle closer. Both men groaned at the increase in contact.

            Feeling his orgasm getting closer and with his hands still being held down, Severus lifted one leg and wrapped it around Remus’ hip. Remus growled around the mark he was sucking up and thrust his hips against Severus, hard.

            The growl and the thrust were all Severus needed. He gave a long groan and his leg tightened around Remus’ hip as he came.

            The feel, sound and, _Merlin_ , the _scent_ of Severus orgasming beneath him pushed Remus over the edge. He pulled his head back to keep from biting down on the flesh he had been sucking on and he let out something much like a howl as he arched and came.

            Afterwards, panting and shaking, Remus couldn’t stop himself from pressing his lips to Severus’ and kissing the other man. He quickly deepened the kiss.

            Severus, still stunned by the strength of the orgasm he had just had, didn’t think. He kissed back, enjoying it.

            As the lust and the afterglow faded, and as the moonlight faded from the room, the situation quickly turned extremely awkward.

            The kiss ended and Remus pulled back. Looking down at the other man, he quietly, hesitantly asked, “Severus?”

            Severus’ face was red. He glared at Remus, though it lacked most of his usual force, and said, “Get off of me.”

            Remus immediately scrambled to his feet, releasing Severus. He reached down to help Severus up, but the other man ignored his hand and pushed himself to his feet.

            Severus quickly stalked over to the desk and picked up his wand, casting a cleaning charm on himself. He picked up his notes and writing materials from the desk, speaking with his back to Remus. “It seems the formula needs more work.” Without another word, and without a single look, Severus turned and swept from the room.

            Once he was alone, Remus went over to the desk and picked up his wand, performing his own cleaning charm. Afterwards, he slowly sank into the chair and put his head into his hands. “What have I done?” The words were quiet, nearly silent. Remus expected, and received, no reply.


	32. Worse

            Remus stood outside the Great Hall waiting for Harry to come out. He had been avoiding the younger man since the humiliating ( _incredible_ , his mind whispered) events the night of the full moon. Just before dinner, Harry had finally managed to catch him in his office. When Harry had asked about how things had gone with the new formula for the Wolfsbane potion, Remus had gotten sharp. It was the first time Remus had ever been like that with Harry and he was feeling extremely guilty.

            It was hardly Harry’s fault that he had humiliated himself and probably made Severus hate him. Remus winced as he remembered the way the Potions Master had been avoiding him. Even on the few rare occasions Remus had managed to find the courage to approach to attempt an apology, Severus had found a way to avoid speaking to him. Actually, Remus winced again, Severus had managed to find a way to avoid coming within twenty feet of him.

            Remus sighed again and turned back to the students coming from the Great Hall. Harry’s last Quidditch game was tomorrow and Remus knew if he didn’t talk to Harry tonight he wouldn’t get the chance to until after the game tomorrow since Harry would leave for the pitch as soon as he finished breakfast. Remus couldn’t stand the thought of waiting that long and besides Harry had enough worries about the game and going up against Draco. Remus didn’t want Harry worrying about him tomorrow as well.

            Remus winced again, this time remembering the hurt and surprise on Harry’s face when Remus had snapped at him. Remus resisted the urge to pace. He had been doing a lot of pacing since the full moon, which brought back memories of Severus and…Remus shook his head, angry with himself. He needed to focus on how to apologize to Harry. He would have to tell Harry _something_ about what happened.

            Remus sighed and then frowned. He checked the time and then he frowned harder. Where was Harry?

***********************************

            Harry’s first thought as he slowly regained consciousness was _What now?_ He had too much experience to not know the difference between waking up and regaining consciousness. He frantically searched his mind for the last thing he remembered before losing consciousness.

            He had been taking a tray of food to Remy’s office. The werewolf hadn’t been at dinner and, after he had gotten over the surprise of Remus snapping at him, Harry realized things must have gone very wrong on the night of the full moon. Not that Harry hadn’t expected that from the way Remus had been avoiding him. He thought that maybe some food and a chance to talk might help so he had gone to the kitchens to ask for an extra special meal for the werewolf.

            Harry had been walking along a corridor and…nothing. It just went blank.

            Harry struggled not to panic as he came to the conclusion that some Death Eater wannabe had managed to sneak him out of Hogwarts and turn him over to Voldemort. Harry was going to open his eyes and see Voldemort and have to suffer through one of the man’s _speeches_ and then he’d probably be tortured and killed. Or used in some horrific, disgusting ritual and then tortured and killed.

            Feeling something on his chest, Harry finally opened his eyes to assess the situation. For a moment, everything was blurry. He blinked a couple of times and when the world came into focus he thought, _I think I would have preferred Voldemort._

************************************

            Remus had already seen Blaise and Neville leave, but where was Harry? Usually Harry was done by now. Remus frowned again when he caught sight of a couple of students having an intense whispered exchange. For once Remus was grateful for his curse as he used his heightened sense of hearing to eavesdrop on the conversation.

            “Did you see which way they went?” Hermione asked with a frown.

            “No, but don’t worry. Ginny will make sure no one sees them,” Ron said with a shrug. “Come on, Hermione. It’ll be fine.”

            “Fine?! Ron, he has detention with Snape nearly every night! You know if he doesn’t show up Snape will go looking for him just for the chance to punish him further!”

            “Relax. He doesn’t have detention tonight. We made sure.”

            “I still can’t believe she’s going to do this! What is she thinking?”

            “Well, it’s not like your love spells have been any help.”

            Hermione glared at Ron. “It’s not my fault she did them wrong.”

            Remus didn’t need to hear any more. He needed to find Harry. As much as he wanted to run, he was careful not to attract any attention. He had only taken a few steps when he saw Draco come out of the Great Hall. Remus didn’t want to tell the blond what was going on. He knew Draco might be tempted to go over to Ron and Hermione and try to hex the answers out of them. However…

            “Mr. Malfoy! May I speak with you a moment?” Remus called. Ron and Hermione were too focused on their argument to notice.

            Draco approached warily. When he reached Remus he said, “Professor?”

            “Draco,” Remus whispered urgently, “I need you to take a note to Severus for me.” Remus pulled a small notebook and a muggle pen from his robes and quickly wrote a note saying only that Harry was in danger and Severus needed to come to his office right away. He then sealed the note to prevent Draco from being tempted.

            Draco took the note with a frown.

            Remus put his pen and notebook back in his pocket and whispered. “Don’t attract any attention, but _hurry_.”

            Draco nodded and they parted ways, each trying to be as quick as possible without drawing attention.

            When Remus reached an empty corridor, he broke into a run. It took him less than half the time it usually did to reach his office. Remus threw the door open and hurried over to his desk, pulling out the Marauder’s map.

            His frantic eyes had just located Harry, alone in an abandoned room with Ginny Weasley, when Severus stormed into the room. Remus quickly folded the map and shoved it into his robes and started for the door. He didn’t give Severus any time to ask questions as he rushed out of the room.

            “Lupin!” Severus growled, following after him.

            Remus looked around and then said, “Ginny has Harry. She’s planning something that’s apparently worse than the love spells.”

            A dark, fierce scowl came to Severus face and he asked no more questions, just hurried after Remus.

*************************************

            “Ginny?” Harry asked, “What’s going on?” He looked around and realized that they were in what appeared to be a bedroom. Harry was on the bed and Ginny was leaning over him, a knee on either side of his hips, straddling him. Harry tried to push her away and get up, but he couldn’t.

            When Harry realized his hands were tied to the headboard above his head, he felt his heart beat speed up in fear. He was half sitting, half lying down with his shoulders propped against the headboard and his outer robes and his shoes were gone.

            “Ginny?” Harry asked again, trying to remain calm.

            “I’m sorry it has to be this way, Harry. I tried, I really did. I flirted and dress up and you never noticed me. Really, you didn’t leave me any choice,” Ginny said, almost accusingly.

            “Ginny,” Harry said, struggling against his bonds as Ginny popped open a few more buttons on his shirt. “What are you doing?”

            “Harry, it really is too bad you were raised by muggles. There’s just so much you don’t know,” Ginny said casually as she continued to slowly open buttons. “Especially about pureblood laws and traditions. For example, did you know that as the last of the Potter line if you get a pureblood woman pregnant you have no choice but to marry her? You couldn’t get a divorce either until the youngest of the children you might have reaches his or her majority.”

            Harry suddenly felt like he was going to throw up. Ginny paused with half of Harry’s shirt buttons undone to caress Harry’s chest. She ignored Harry’s attempts to get away from her touch.

            “Did you know,” Ginny said dreamily as she continued to caress Harry’s chest, “that there is a fertility potion that guarantees conception with three…attempts as long as neither of the…participants are barren?” She gave Harry a soft smile. “We’ll have such beautiful kids Harry.”

            Harry swallowed the bile that rose in the back of his throat. He searched frantically for a way out of this situation. “It won’t work, Ginny,” he said desperately. “You can’t make me…” Harry shuddered, unable to say it. “Guys can’t be forced to…”

            Ginny grinned at him and resumed unbuttoning Harry’s shirt. “The same little shop in Knockturn Alley that sells the fertility potion also sells another little potion. It helps men who have those kinds of problems. Don’t worry, Harry. You’ll be able to get me pregnant.”

            “I won’t drink it!” Harry said. He knew he sounded slightly hysterical, but this really was worse than Voldemort.

            Ginny giggled. “You already have, silly.” Ginny reached the last button on Harry’s shirt and pulled the bottom hem from Harry’s trousers and then pushed it wide open. She sat for a moment, admiring Harry’s bare chest.

            As Ginny reached out to caress his chest again, Harry said, “I’ll tell people. You won’t be able to-”

            Ginny shook her head. “You aren’t going to remember. Which is a pity. It’ll be our first time together. But maybe it’s for the best.” Ginny gave Harry a little pout. “I admit I got a little bored waiting for you, Harry. But don’t be mad. Dean and Seamus and the others, they didn’t mean anything. This will be the first time it _means_ something, so I think I’ll tell you it was my first time.” Ginny nodded, with a thoughtful look on her face. “Yes, I think so.”

            Ginny turned back to touching Harry as she talked and she grinned down at him. “It’ll be great, Harry. We decided to get back together, you set up a lovely romantic evening and I gave you my virginity. I’ll be upset that you had too much to drink to remember our first time, but I’ll forgive you when we get excited over our baby.”

            Harry closed his eyes and tried to push away the panic and _think_. He was **_not_** going to let any of that happen. His eyes snapped open and he felt panic flood him again as Ginny’s hands drifted lower.

            Ginny giggled and said, “Don’t worry, Harry. I know I won’t be disappointed.” She winked at him. “Ron’s told me what to expect. I admit I was going to punish him for wanking to memories of you in the shower, but when he decided to share the details, well, I decided I could forgive him.” Ginny sighed wistfully. “It’s really too bad we didn’t have a pensieve.”

            As Ginny worked his belt open and then popped open the button on his trousers, Harry tried to ignore his disgust and panic. _If I just had my wand!_ Harry thought. _Fuck, fuck, fuck. Wandless spells. What wandless spells do I know?_

            As Ginny lowered Harry’s zipper, Harry’s mind caught on the one wandless spell he could never forget. When Ginny leaned over and suddenly pressed her lips to Harry’s, Harry was fervently grateful the spell was also nonverbal.   
            As Harry pressed his lips as tightly closed as he could, he thought with every once of strength he had _Levicorpus!_ The spell was so strong it tore Ginny away from Harry and he heard a thud and a _whoosh_ as Ginny’s back hit the ceiling and her breath left her. She was still conscious and Harry saw her reaching into her pocket for her wand. He quickly thought the counter-charm and watched as she fell to the floor. Ginny groaned and tried to get up, but then she slumped to the ground.

            Harry sat on the bed, wide-eyed and panting.

********************************

            “Here!” Remus said, stopping in front of a door. It took only a simple _Alohomora_ and the door was opened.

            The two frantic men rushed into the room and looked around, searching for Harry. For a single, horrified instant they both froze as they caught sight of him. Harry was tied to a bed with his chest bared and his trousers undone. He was wide-eyed, shaking and panting and he looked to be as pale as the sheets under him.

            Severus and Remus shook off their shock and rushed over to Harry.

            “Get her away from me,” Harry said with a voice shaking as badly as his body.

            Remus untied Harry while Severus turned to the unconscious girl on the floor. He slowly raised his wand, wearing the coldest expression Harry had ever seen on his face.

            “No! You can’t kill her,” Harry said.

            “Why not?” Remus asked, hate and disgust plain on his face.

            At the same time, Severus said, “Actually, I can do so quite easily.”

            Harry shook his head. “It would ruin everything. Just-just _Obliviate_ her and we can think of something later.” When Severus hesitated, Harry whispered, “Please. I just want to get out of here.”

            Severus glared at the girl at his feet and then modified her memory while Remus found Harry’s wand and his clothes. As soon as Harry was dressed they left, ignoring the unconscious girl.

            Harry walked with his arms wrapped around him as if he were cold. Both men kept shooting him worried glances, though Severus was much less obvious about it. Years of habit, Harry guessed.

            “I want to go to the dungeons,” Harry said.

            “Shall I send for Draco?” Severus asked.

            “No!” Harry said, slightly panicked, shaking his head emphatically. At that moment, Harry did not want to see anyone but these two men. He turned to Remus. “Remy, are there any shortcuts? I don’t feel like seeing anyone right now.”

            Remus paused for a moment, thinking. Then he nodded and said, “This way.”

***********************************

            Severus was still filled with a cold rage as he let Harry and Remus into his private quarters. As Remus gently guided Harry over to the sofa, Severus poured three glasses of Firewhisky.

            Severus turned and handed Harry his drink first. As Harry reached up to grab the glass, he looked up and quietly said, “You saved me.”

            “I rather think you had it in hand,” Severus said, rage momentarily overshadowed by the pride he felt in Harry.

            Harry shook his head. “She was-she…she had her hands…” Disgust twisted Harry’s features for a moment and then he took a deep breath. “And I remembered the spell. From the book. The Half-Blood Prince’s book.” Harry stopped mumbling and shook his head again. “You saved me.”

            Severus blinked. Then he shook his head. “Whichever spell you are referring to, _you_ were the one to use it. It matters not where you learned it, you were the one to use it. You saved yourself.”

            Harry gave him a little half smile and shook his head. His smile faded as Severus started to turn away. “Sit next to me?” Harry asked and then bit his lip.

            Severus was careful to keep his surprise from his face. He handed Lupin his glass and then sat on the other side of Harry on the sofa.

            Harry felt something within him relax as he sat between the two older men. He sipped his whisky and felt the jittery residue of panic and fear fade. Something about being with these two made him feel safe and protected at that moment. Harry let his mind drift, tried to put aside the horrible experience.

            He was grateful Draco wasn’t there. He loved the blond, but at that moment, the comfort he wanted wasn’t the kind given by a boyfriend or lover. He wanted the kind of comfort he felt being with these two older men, a comfort he had rarely, if ever, felt before. _Fathers_ , his mind whispered, _the comfort provided by fathers._

            Harry let that thought float around for a moment. It was surprisingly fitting. Snape, well, _was_ his father. And Remus had been the closest thing to a father Harry had ever known before finding out he had a chance to know the man who was his father by blood.

            _Yes_ , Harry thought, _whatever blood or intimacy that is or isn’t between us, these men are both my fathers._

            “Half-Blood Prince?” Remus asked into the long silence.

            Harry suddenly grinned. It was definitely not his usual grin, but it was a vast improvement to the pale, shaken boy they had found tied to the bed in that room.

            “The Half-Blood Prince and the last Marauder,” Harry said with a weak chuckle. “Quite the pair.”

            Harry noticed the sudden tension in both men and he frowned. Suddenly, he realized that it hadn’t been just Remus avoiding him. They had been avoiding each other.  “Okay, who wants to tell me?” Harry asked, grateful for the distraction from the experience with Ginny. “What happened on the night of the full moon?”

            Harry almost laughed as both men froze, glasses of whisky half way to their mouths. If he didn’t know better he’d think they were doing it on purpose to try to cheer him up. Harry’s brows rose as he noticed the red flush on _both_ men’s cheeks.

            “The formula requires more work yet,” Severus muttered. Remus simply downed his glass of whisky in one swallow.

            Harry looked between the two of them, wide-eyed, for a moment and then hid his smile by finishing off his whisky. _How…interesting._

************************************

            Remus watched his hand run through Harry’s hair. He refused to look at Severus and risk meeting the other man’s eyes.

            Harry’s brief lightening of mood hadn’t lasted very long. Severus had given him a second glass of Firewhisky and had not even hesitated when Harry asked if he could stay for the night. He hadn’t wanted them to leave, either, and so Severus and Remus had stayed.

            Now, the two men were pinned down by Harry’s sleeping body. Harry had dozed and, before Remus could make his escape or Severus suggest they let Harry rest, Harry had slumped over. He now lay with his head in Remus’ lap with his legs thrown across Severus’ thighs.

            An awkward silence settled between the two men. While neither had forgotten what Harry had just gone through, Harry was adamant that they not do anything to Ginny just yet. He kept saying it would ‘ruin things.’ What things he meant, Remus and Severus could not get him to say. Eventually, as Harry’s unease had faded, they put their rage, hate and disgust away to be dealt with later.

            “Severus, I-I wish to apologize for…attacking you the other night,” Remus said suddenly, blushing.

            “As I told Harry, I have yet to perfect the formula for the Wolfsbane formula,” Severus said, not looking at Remus.

            Severus repressed the urge to groan. He had not needed the reminder of that night. In the week since, he had dreamt of it every night and he would find himself thinking of it at the oddest moments, to say nothing of the directions his thoughts strayed when he saw the werewolf.

            Severus would freely admit, to himself if no one else, that he had closed off his heart after Lily. But he had not been celibate. He had had other lovers. Never anything more than a one night stand, but he had only been looking for a physical release and one night stands suited the purpose. And truly, it had never been that he was necessarily attracted to any of the nameless lovers that came after Lily. He felt the need for sex and they had been available, end of story.

            Even so, Severus had never been with, never even _thought_ about being with, another man. It was disconcerting and Severus was unsure of how to deal with these feelings that were not only suddenly _there_ but that didn’t seem to go away.

            What’s more, it wasn’t just the thought of _any_ man. No, these feelings only seemed to plague him when he thought of _Lupin_. The thought was troubling enough that he had tried to picture other men in an attempt to see if he had merely never noticed this particular leaning of his, but the best he had managed had been indifference. Most thoughts of men other than the werewolf produced a strong feeling of distaste if not out right disgust.

            If that were not disturbing enough, Severus still had no idea what to think of the little kink he had discovered he possessed.

            The thought brought Severus’ mind back to the night of the full moon. He turned his head from the werewolf and glared at the wall, moving Harry’s legs slightly to prevent from embarrassing himself.

            With thoughts such as these crowding his mind whenever he so much as caught a glimpse of the damned wolf’s sleeve or the back of his head, was it any wonder Severus had been avoiding him in an attempt to retain his sanity?

*************************************

            Harry jerked from the nightmare covered in cold sweat and waving his arms, trying to fight off the attack he had been reliving in his dreams.

            “Harry. Harry, wake up. You’re safe.”

            Harry calmed and then turned to the source of the soothing murmurs. Had his mind not still been stuck on his nightmare, he might have been surprised to find Snape murmuring soothingly to him.

            “She gave me a potion. I forgot, she gave a potion,” Harry said wildly. Suddenly, he jumped to his feet. “I think-I think I’m gonna-” He just made it to the bathroom before he got sick.

            “Harry?” Severus asked sharply. He knew Harry had been shaken, but to have forgotten that he had been given a potion? Severus went cold at the possibilities that ran through his head. It could be too late for him to do anything! “Harry,” he said again when Harry had finished vomiting. “I need to check to see what potion she used on you.”

            Harry weakly nodded his head. “Can I rinse my mouth out first?”

            Severus waited impatiently as Harry rinsed his mouth and then used his wand to check Harry for poisons and other potions. His fury grew as he realized what potion the witch had forced on Harry. Unfortunately, the potion was not only of inferior quality, but it was also tainted. Harry had a potion equivalent of food poisoning which, while highly unpleasant, was actually a relief given the effects some tainted potions can have.

            “The potion you were given was tainted. It not only did not do what it was intended to do, but it there will be extremely unpleasant side effects. There is no immediate danger, but you will be sick for a while. You will definitely not be playing in the game tomorrow,” Severus said. He waited for Harry to object. Severus actually regretted that that was the case, but no matter what he did Harry would not be up to playing Quidditch in time for the game.

            To Severus surprise, Harry seemed relieved. “Didn’t want to play against Draco anyway,” Harry said with a grimace, holding a hand to his stomach.

            “I think it would be best if you were to go to the infirmary,” Severus said. Harry gave him a pleading look. Severus frowned until he noticed Harry seemed quite embarrassed and then he remembered _what_ potion the Weasley bitch had slipped him. Severus took out one of the number of extra toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste he kept (living at Hogwarts, just popping out to buy necessities as you need them wasn’t really an option) and handed them to Harry. “Here. I’ll be right back.”

            Harry brushed his teeth and then Severus was back, holding out a vial. Harry took it with a grimace.

            “It will interact with the other potion. It may ease your discomfort somewhat, though it may also make it slightly worse. The main thing is that when the two mix, it will result in a strange reading for Poppy. She will call me in and I will tell her it appears someone has tried to poison you. I can tell her what you will need and she will never know,” Severus said.

            Harry gave Severus a grateful look before drinking the potion he had been given.

            “If you show up in the infirmary just before breakfast, she will think you woke early with the symptoms,” Severus continued. He checked the time. “You still have a few hours if you would like some sleep.”

            Harry hesitated. “Would a Dreamless Sleep potion…?”

            “Unfortunately, that would be a very bad combination of potions,” Severus said. He regretted that he could do nothing more for Harry.

            Harry nodded glumly and said, “I think I’ll go lie down now. I don’t know if I’ll sleep, but I really don’t feel so well.”

            Severus nodded and they left the bathroom. Severus went back into his bedroom and Harry returned to the living room.

            Harry lay on the sofa for several long minutes and then made a decision. He got up, folded the blanket he had been using, and then let himself out of Snape’s private quarters. Stepping into the corridor from Snape’s office, Harry turned and headed, not for the stairs, but for the Slytherin common room.

            After slipping past the irritated painting, Harry used his invisibility spell and slipped up to the seventh year boys’ dorm. He looked around and quickly managed to locate Draco. Harry slipped between the partially closed curtains before closing them all the way and setting up privacy charms.

            Once the charms were in place, Harry reached over and gently shook Draco’s shoulder. He gave a slight smile at Draco’s angry mutters and shook his shoulder again, this time softly calling out, “Draco, wake up.”

            Draco blinked sleepily and wondered why Harry was waking him from a dream about Harry. He was a little confused, but something in Harry’s face woke him quickly. “Harry?” Draco frowned. “What are you doing here?”

            Harry stirred uneasily. “Maybe I should go.” He hadn’t really thought about what he was going to say.

            “Wait,” Draco cried out, grabbing Harry’s wrist. “Harry, what’s wrong?”

            Harry grimaced. “I just…would you mind if I stayed here for a little while?”

            Draco frowned, getting worried. “Of course not.” He moved over and lifted the covers for Harry. His worry increased as he noticed Harry moving carefully as if he were injured. He also noticed that Harry was a little stiffer than usual when he cuddled up to him. “Harry?” Draco said, letting his worry enter his voice.

            Harry sighed and turned to his side and pulled Draco close. He couldn’t stop himself from tensing a little when Draco went to rub his hand up and down Harry’s back soothingly. Draco stopped as soon as Harry tensed, making Harry feel a little guilty.

            “Harry?” Draco said again.

            “I’m not going to be in the game,” Harry suddenly blurted.

            Draco frowned. “What? Why not?”

            “I’m going to be in the infirmary,” Harry said, shifting.

            “What?” Draco asked, voice getting slightly loud.

            This time it was Harry that rubbed Draco’s back and Harry was surprised to find the actions eased some of his internal tension. “I’d be there now,” Harry said with a slightly pained grimace, “but I don’t want Madam Pomfrey asking certain questions.”

            Draco’s arms tightened on Harry. “Why would you need to go to the infirmary?”

            Harry sighed and leaned down to press his face against Draco’s neck. “Can we talk about that after I get out?”

            Draco wanted to argue and demand to know what was going on, but Harry’s voice had that pleading note in it that Draco had only heard after Harry had gone to the Headmaster’s private quarters. “How bad is it, Harry?” he asked quietly. He felt Harry tremble in his arms.

            “What I’m going to the infirmary for is not so bad, I guess. How it happened…” Harry trailed off and trembled again. Harry suddenly reached up and grabbed onto the necklace Draco had made for him. He was grateful that one of the first charms Draco had made kept the wrong person from seeing the necklace. Since Harry never took it off and since dorm bathrooms were shared between several boys-that was another line of thought Harry suddenly cut off as he remembered certain comments Ginny had made. Harry was just glad Draco had seen the need for such a charm. Harry didn’t even want to think of Ginny touching the necklace.

            Draco felt Harry tremble and held him tighter. Draco suspected that when he found out what happened, he was going to be furious.

            They held each other and were silent for several minutes. Suddenly, Harry said, “Draco?”

            “Hmm?”

            “I want you to beat them in the game tomorrow. I want you to win.” Harry rubbed his cheek against Draco’s shoulder. “I’ll be cheering for you,” he murmured before falling asleep.

            Draco stared at Harry, eyes wide, for a long moment. Finally, he tightened his arms around Harry and tried to go back to sleep. He had a game to win. Harry was cheering for him.

***********************************

            The next morning before breakfast, as Harry was making his way up to the infirmary, Draco and Blaise found themselves in their Head of House’s office. They could tell the man was _not_ in a good mood that morning. Draco narrowed his eyes, wondering if he knew what had happened to Harry.

            Severus looked at the two boys in silence. When he finally spoke, his voice was cold and laced with menace. “Harry won’t be in the game. There was an… _incident_ last night.” His lip curled in disgust. He looked between them and then said, “ _Miss Weasley_ will be standing in for Harry and I think you will want to make it clear to her how you feel about Harry spending the next several days in the infirmary.”

            Severus stared at his students for a moment before he nodded once, sharply, in approval of the hard expressions and cold eyes. “Have a good game,” he said silkily, dismissing them.


	33. Quidditch

            The day of the Slytherin/Gryffindor Quidditch game was warm, though the sky was overcast. The crowd was surprised and shocked to hear the substitution for the Gryffindor seeker and some muttered about the Slytherin team being behind Harry’s ‘sudden illness.’

            The Slytherins came onto the field with less than their usual amount of arrogance. Their faces were unusually determined and grim. Draco, as team captain, had given a pre-game speech that was not too different in tone from the one he and Blaise had gotten from their Head of House. He also mentioned, ever so casually, that Harry had said he was cheering for Draco. The Slytherin team, being made up almost entirely of seventh years, knew just what that meant to Draco…and to them should they lose.

            The Gryffindor team came onto the field angry. They were among those muttering about the Slytherin team being behind Harry’s illness. Ron, as interim captain, gave a pre-game speech that was passionate, if rather incoherent. Still, the team went out onto the field determined to do Harry proud.

            The game was one of the longer games played at Hogwarts. The Slytherins’ determination landed them many points early in the game. They would not have had to worry about losing at all as the Gryffindors’ were not able to score against them and they soon had enough points that the Gryffindors’ needed to make several goals before catching the snitch if they were to win. However, soon Ginny began to find herself the target of ‘poor aim’ of the beaters and even, on a few occasions, one of the Slytherin chasers.

            As the Slytherin team’s goal split between playing the game and punishing Ginny, the Gryffindor team was able to narrow the gap between the two teams, scoring several goals. Even so, as the Gryffindor team gained more points, Ginny gained injuries. Long before the end of the game Ginny was sporting numerous bruises, a split lip and a bloody nose.

            Finally, after long hours, Draco spotted the Golden Snitch. The fading sunlight illuminated the Snitch briefly before disappearing once again behind the clouds, but it was all the blond needed. Ginny once more found herself targeted by the entire Slytherin team as Draco went after the Snitch.

            She was crushed between Vince and Greg, she had the Quaffle hit her in the stomach, a Bludger nearly hit her right in the face and, when she made the mistake of venturing too close to the Slytherin goal posts, Blaise (the Slytherin Keeper) ‘accidentally’ knocked her into the tallest goal post. As she struggled to stay on her broom and stay in the air, Draco chased after the Snitch, dodging players from both teams.

            Just as the Quaffle once again nearly knocked Ginny from her broom, Draco stretched out his hand, trying to grasp the Snitch. He gritted his teeth and pushed his broom harder. Ginny flew straight through the middle Slytherin goal post and then, dodging a Bludger yet again, turned and hit the side of the goal post just as Draco closed his hand over the Golden Snitch.

            The crowd went dead quiet in shock as Draco stopped his broom and looked down at the golden ball in his hand. With a fierce smirk, Draco held the Snitch out for everyone to see. The Slytherin stands went wild as the commentator announced, in a shocked voice, that Draco had caught the Snitch. After a short pause, the commentator also announced that the victory went to Slytherin.

            Except for the cheering Slytherins, a ripple of disbelief moved through the crowd. With this victory, the Slytherins won not only the match, but the Quidditch Cup!

            As the Slytherin team did a victory lap, Draco watched as Ginny Weasley was checked over by Madam Hooch. Despite how hard the Slytherin team had been on the witch, Draco knew her injuries would not keep her in the infirmary for long. While extensive and extremely painful, the Slytherins had been careful to keep the injuries to the kind the medi-witch had always claimed healed better when left to heal on their own. At best, Madam Pomfrey would be giving the red-headed witch some pain-relieving potions and sending her on her way.

            Draco turned away. He hadn’t wanted her in the infirmary with his Harry and he let the team know that. Fortunately, all of the team members were against the Dark Lord. Besides, Draco wanted to wait to fully punish the Weasley witch until he knew what he was punishing her for.

************************************

            Harry spent three days in the infirmary. He was not allowed visitors during that time and security was too tight for his worried boyfriend and friends to sneak in to see him.

            Fortunately, Severus was around to help deal with the Headmaster, who of course had to be told about someone trying to poison Harry. For once, Harry found Dumbledore’s insistence on viewing him as a child to be useful as he played dumb when questioned. In the end, Dumbledore just suggested Harry be more careful and then hinted that it was good that Harry would be going through with the ritual binding him to Ron and Hermione soon so that Voldemort could be defeated. It was exactly what Harry and Severus had expected.

            Madam Pomfrey was a bit more worried and only let Harry leave after he ate his dinner in the infirmary under her watchful eye on his final day in her care.

            Harry went up to the Gryffindor dorms after eating. He was feeling a lot better physically and he had spent a lot of time thinking about what had happened with Ginny and he thought he would be okay. It was actually a lot like fourth year when Voldemort took his blood in that cemetery, only this time he managed to keep the pervert attacking him from getting what she wanted. And being able to have Remy and Snape around…that also made a huge difference. So, yeah. He was going to be okay.

            When Harry saw both the common room and his dorm room was still empty, he realized that everyone else was still down at dinner. He decided to grab a shower and maybe sit in bed and read for a while. He had spent a lot of time studying in the infirmary, not wanting Madam Pomfrey to know about his preference for gay romances and not having anyone else to ask to bring him some any way. (Like he was going to ask _Snape_ to bring him gay romance novels. He still had trouble picturing Snape buying that _Gay Wizard’s Guide_ that the man had given him for Christmas.)

            Harry had everything in his arms and was heading for the bathroom when he remembered. He hesitated, standing in the middle of the dorm room holding his pajamas and shower supplies in his arms. He did not want to be in the shower when Ron came up from dinner. Harry shivered in disgust, remembering Ginny talking about Ron watching him in the shower.

            No, he couldn’t do it.

            Decision made, Harry shrunk his clothes and shower supplies and put them in his pocket. While he was at it he grabbed a couple of his books and made sure he had his spell notebook too. Harry started to leave when he had a thought and went back for some more clothes in case he didn’t feel like coming back later that night. With everything shrunk and in his pockets he turned to leave.

            It was only a couple more weeks until NEWTs and since he was leaving as soon as he finished taking his NEWTs…Harry figured he could avoid using his dorm bathroom for the rest of his time at Hogwarts. He shuddered again, thinking of Ron watching him in the shower, of Ron thinking about him in the shower while…

            “Ick,” Harry said, shaking his head, trying to get rid of the thought.

            He headed for the stairs. He was halfway down the stairs when he heard students coming into the common room. He stopped and hesitated only a second before he used his invisibility spell and quickly descended the rest of the stairs to the common room. With so many people coming in from dinner, it was easy for Harry to slip out without anyone noticing.

            Harry took his time heading down to the dungeons. He wanted to give Snape plenty of time to get back to his quarters. Harry supposed he could go to Remy and ask to use his bathroom, but Harry felt that would be too…expected. Besides, as weird as it sounded, Harry felt safer in the dungeons. Maybe because the dungeons were as far away from Gryffindor Tower as he could get and still be in the school.

            Harry shook his head and went down the stairs to the dungeon. Reaching Snape’s office door, Harry carefully looked around before dropping his spell and knocking on the door. He quickly entered after Snape barked out a command to do so.

            “Harry?” Severus asked with a frown. He quickly replaced the wards on his office door. “What’s wrong?”

            Harry grimaced and shifted uncomfortably. Maybe he should have gone to Remy. It would have been a little less awkward. “Uh…”

            “Harry?” Severus stood and came around his desk. After what had happened with the Weasley girl and waking Harry from the nightmare, Severus had gotten the feeling that things between him and Harry had gotten…well, they might still be far from a father/son relationship, but he had gotten the feeling they had overcome a large portion of the obstacles between them.

            Harry grimaced again and looked up at the ceiling as he said, “When Ginny…she, uh, mentioned something…” Harry grimaced yet again and gave an impatient sigh. “Ginny made a comment about catching Ron wanking while thinking about me in the shower. Apparently, he likes to peek and…” Harry shrugged and wrinkled his nose in disgust. He sighed again and finally brought his eyes down to meet Snape’s. “I was wondering if I could use your shower.” He hesitated and then decided he might as well be clear about it. “Until I leave after taking my NEWTs?”

            Severus was careful to keep his expression neutral when Harry revealed the latest horror perpetrated by the damned Weasley brats. “Of course,” he said in response to Harry’s request. “I can make room for your bathroom supplies if you would like to just leave your things rather than bring them with you down to the dungeons each night.” Severus turned to head into the bathroom and do just that. “I can also leave an extra blanket and pillow on the sofa if you should ever need somewhere to sleep.”

            “Thanks,” Harry said, relief evident in his voice.

            He stood in the doorway while Snape moved bathroom supplies around. As Harry watched, he thought about Snape and Remus. Obviously something had happened on the full moon, but he knew well enough that neither man was about to tell him anything. Harry figured he was back to his original plan. Which reminded him…

            Harry frowned just as Snape looked over at him. When Snape merely lifted an eyebrow, Harry shook his head. “Remind me I needed to tell you something after I get a shower.”

            “Very well,” Severus said, careful to keep his curiosity from his face. He swept an arm out and indicated the room he had made for Harry. “When you finish, I will most likely be in my office marking essays.” With that, he left Harry to shower.

            Harry quickly put his shower supplies away and hurried through his shower. When he was finished, he stopped in the living room where he had put his books and grabbed the book he was in the middle of before going to Snape’s office. Snape was, indeed, sitting at his desk grading essays when Harry came in.

            Harry plopped down in the comfortable chair half hidden in the shadows of Snape’s office. The chair looked far more uncomfortable than it actually was, a fact Harry discovered quite by accident. Harry opened his book and read, waiting until Snape had finished grading the essay he was on.

            It was several minutes later when Harry looked up to find the Potions Master frowning lightly and staring at him. “Well, Harry? What did you need to tell me?”

            Harry grinned. “You know, we’ve come a long way since Christmas break,” Harry said, thinking of how…polite Snape had been that evening. Harry shook his head and continued before Snape had a chance to comment. “Well, do you remember when you caught me in the Slytherin common room and I told you I couldn’t tell you what I was doing in there because we promised not to tell our parents?”

            Severus’ brow rose and he said, “Indeed.”

            Harry nodded. “Well…” He explained about both of the meetings he had been to so far and the plans he and the others had made. When he was finished, Severus was leaning back in his chair, one hand rubbing his forehead.

            “You decided to create a third side in the war. If that weren’t enough, you plan to arrange a meeting with the majority of the Dark Lord’s followers in an attempt to…recruit them. You also intend to do the same with members of the Order. At some point you intend to go against not only the Dark Lord, but the Headmaster as well,” Severus recited flatly.

            Harry nodded.

            Severus stared at his son for a long moment. “And the fact that both the Dark Lord and the Headmaster are masters at _Legilimency_?”

            Harry shrugged. “Well, obviously anyone who is getting an invite to the first meeting has enough skill at either Occlumency or at simply avoiding having Voldemort use Legilimency on them to hide the fact that they don’t really support him, so there will be little to worry about on that end. The Order members may be a little harder, but with McGonagall’s help, I think that won’t be much of a problem either. If she can keep herself in the position to play the middleman-er, middle _woman_ \- then I think we can manage. Personally, I think we should get rid of Dumbledore first anyway.”

            “Mm,” Severus hummed noncommittally.

            As Snape sunk into his thoughts, Harry opened his book and went back to reading. The man would probably think it over for hours, knowing him and his meticulous nature. “Oh!” Harry’s head snapped back up.

            “What?” Severus asked, frowning at Harry.

            “The binding spells! How much longer until we can remove them? We had planned to remove them the day after the Quidditch match,” Harry said.

            “Unless you were in the infirmary,” Severus said with a pointed look.

            Harry rolled his eyes. “So, when can we do it?”

            Severus frowned. They didn’t really have enough time to do it tonight. “I think it would be best to wait until the weekend. With…everything else that has happened, I want to go over everything once more.”

            Harry sighed. “Okay. We’ve waited this long. I suppose we could wait until the weekend.” With that, Harry went back to reading his book.

            After several long moments, Severus dropped his eyes to the stack of essays in front of him and pretended to read the one on top. Really though, his thoughts were on the plans Harry and his Slytherins had made. There were risks, but as Harry had suggested between Victoria, Lucius, Narcissa and himself, Severus rather suspected the risks could be minimized. Especially if the meeting was taking place at Victoria’s manor.

            Severus continued planning and Harry sat in the comfy chair reading and ignoring his father.

*************************************

            Harry sighed and checked the time again. The sofa in Snape’s private quarters was comfortable, but…Harry just couldn’t sleep here. He had been considering leaving for the past couple of sleepless hours, but he did _not_ want to go back up to Gryffindor Tower.

            Finally, though, Harry couldn’t take it anymore. It was too quiet, he nearly fell in the floor every time he went to roll over and even as short as he was he couldn’t really stretch out. Giving a huff, Harry sat up and threw the blanket off of him.

            He didn’t want to get dressed only to get undressed again and since he was going to use his invisibility spell and didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing him wander around in his pajamas…Harry shook his head and grabbed his clothes for morning. He slipped his feet into his shoes, but other than his shoes he wore only his pajama pants.

            Harry let himself out of Snape’s quarters and into the corridor beyond Snape’s office. Harry regretted not putting his clothes on as soon as he stepped out into the corridor. Snape’s quarters had been much warmer. Harry bit his lip. He didn’t want to go back to Snape’s sofa, but he didn’t know if he could make it back up to Gryffindor Tower. Suddenly, Harry smiled and turned away from the stairs.

            The man in the portrait guarding the Slytherin common room was fortunately too drowsy to pay attention to the fact that he could not see the person who gave the password. Harry sighed gratefully at the warmth coming from the fire burning in the fireplace in the common room. He took just a few seconds to warm up and then he went up to the seventh year boys’ dorm.

            Harry slipped into the dorm room and dropped the invisibility spell. He looked around, but everyone seemed to be asleep so he carefully approached Draco’s bed. He shrunk his clothes and put them under the clothes Draco had set out for the next day and then slipped between the parted curtains on Draco’s bed.

            Once on Draco’s bed, Harry shut the curtains completely. This time he didn’t bother with privacy charms. He needed to hear when the others we getting up so that he could leave in the morning. Last time he had nearly been caught leaving. Fortunately, Harry managed to use his invisibility spell and no one but Draco knew he had been there.

            Harry reached out and shook Draco’s shoulder. He bit his lip as Draco muttered angrily. Harry felt bad for waking him, but he could hardly stay without asking. And, while Harry didn’t think Draco would mind, it _was_ possible that Draco wouldn’t want him to stay. He shook Draco’s shoulder again. “Draco,” Harry whispered.

            Draco opened one eye to see Harry looking down at him. He frowned and lifted up onto his elbow. “Harry?”

            Harry gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry, Draco. I was just wondering if…Well,” Harry said, blushing. “Could I sleep here tonight?”

            Draco frowned as Harry shivered. He lifted up one edge of the thick blanket covering him and waited for Harry to join him under the covers. When Harry sighed gratefully and settled in next to him, Draco dropped the blanket and reached out and pulled Harry close. “What’s wrong, Harry?” Draco frowned. “Aren’t you supposed to still be in the infirmary?”

            Harry shook his head. “No, Madam Pomfrey let me leave after dinner. I-” Harry broke off with a yawn.

            “What are you doing here, Harry?” Draco asked sleepily, throwing an arm over Harry’s waist and pressing against Harry’s side.

            “Couldn’t get to sleep on Snape’s sofa,” Harry said, drowsily. He was finally comfortable and was already halfway asleep.

            “Why were you trying to sleep on his sofa?” Draco asked.

            “In the morning, Draco,” Harry said and then yawned.

            “Hmm,” Draco hummed in agreement. He was too tired to think straight. As Harry did not seem upset as he had last time, Draco couldn’t wake himself enough to ask about Harry’s stay in the infirmary. It was late, he was tired, and he had Harry safe in bed with him. The rest could be put off until morning.

******************************************

            Blaise was putting his tie on when he heard the scrape of curtains being opened and then a sharp gasp followed by the sound of curtains being shut again quickly. He looked over to the source of the sounds and saw Theo Nott standing next to Draco’s bed. Theo looked shocked and he had the curtains of Draco’s bed clutched so tightly in his hands that his knuckles were white.

            Blaise raised an eyebrow and said, “What’s wrong, Theo? Catch Draco wanking or something?” He blinked in surprise when Theo made a strangled noise and rushed into the bathroom. “What the hell?”

            They had all shared a room long enough that some inevitable awkward moments had occurred, but Draco had **_never_** forgotten to use privacy charms. Even in the shower, no one had ever caught Draco wanking. Blaise figured that was because Draco only ever wanked over Harry and he never wanted anyone to know. Not that they didn’t all figure it out, but still…

            Blaise frowned and walked over to Draco’s bed and pushed the curtain aside. His jaw dropped as he saw Harry Potter cuddled up with Draco. “Harry?! What the _hell_ are you doing?” His eyes widened as a thought occurred to him. He really hoped they were still wearing clothes.

            Harry groaned. “Go ’way, Blaise! I swear, I just got to sleep,” he mumbled, pulling Draco closer.

            At this point, Theo had returned and he, Vince and Greg joined Blaise in staring at the Gryffindor in bed with their dormmate.

            “Harry! If you don’t get up, you are going to be late for classes, even if you skip breakfast. You’ll never make it up to Gryffindor Tower and back in time for breakfast as it is,” Blaise said.

            “He can’t leave now!” Theo said. “Someone will see him for sure. The common room is probably already crowded.”

            Harry glared up at the Slytherins crowded around the bed. He opened his mouth to complain about being woken, but then realized they were all already dressed. “Damn,” Harry said and checked the time and then swore again. “Damn. I had meant to be gone already. Draco, wake up.”

            The Slytherins looked at Harry as if he had lost his mind when he smiled at Draco’s angry mutterings.

            “Come on, Draco. Time to get up,” Harry said and then got out of bed. Harry looked at _them_ as if he were doubting their sanity when they gave a collective sigh of relief at the sight of his pajama pants.

            “Harry, there’s no way you are not going to get caught!” Theo said.

            “It’ll be fine,” Harry said, pulling out his clothes and changing them back to their original size. “I admit I had wanted to be gone before you guys saw me, but you’re not about to tell anyone I was here, are you?”

            As Draco was awake and sitting up in bed at this point, Blaise, Theo, Vince and Greg all shook their heads quickly. “Of course not,” Blaise said.

            “So there’s no problem then,” Harry said absently as he tried to wake up. He had only gotten a few hours of sleep, though he had slept very well once he had joined Draco. He frowned. “At least, there won’t be if anyone has an extra toothbrush. I really don’t have time to go back to Snape’s quarters just to brush my teeth.”

            “Harry,” Draco said, “why is your toothbrush in Professor Snape’s quarters?” He was waking up enough to wonder why Harry had come down to the dungeons last night.

            Harry grimaced as he dropped his pajama pants. He was too distracted by trying to get dressed to be amused at the way all of the Slytherins but Draco quickly spun around so that they couldn’t see him in his boxer-briefs. Draco was only momentarily speechless. His drooling was cut off by Harry’s next words.

            “Well, when Ginny attacked me the other night,” Harry said distractedly, trying to find his other sock, “she mentioned how Ron liked to watch me in the shower and I just couldn’t stand the thought of taking a shower in the Gryffindor dorms, so-AHA!” Harry held his sock up triumphantly.

            Harry was still getting dressed, but Blaise, Theo, Vince and Greg turned back around at his words. They saw the furious look on Draco’s face that Harry missed as he attempted to put his socks on while standing up.

            “Harry, what do you mean, she ‘attacked’ you?” Draco said calmly, despite the fury on his face.

            Harry winced. “I promise, I’ll explain later. But right now,” Harry turned and frowned at the sight of Draco still sitting in bed. “If you don’t get out of bed and get dressed, _you’re_ the one who’s going to miss breakfast and still be late for class. So,” Harry turned to the silent audience, “toothbrush?”

            Theo hurried over to his trunk and pulled out a toothbrush still in the packaging. Harry took it with a smile. “Thanks, Theo.”

            Harry hurried into the bathroom and Draco glared and got out of bed and began dressing. Theo leaned over and whispered to Blaise, “Did Potter say that he left his toothbrush in _Professor Snape’s_ _private quarters_?! And how is he going to get out of here without being caught?”

            “Well,” Blaise said tiredly, “Maybe all of those rumors we have always wondered about were true. I know he managed to get passed Pansy when she almost caught us on the train and then there was that time Draco caught us in the shower…” Blaise sighed and went back to trying to tie his tie. He missed the looks the other three Slytherins sent him at his words.

            “Do you think,” Theo said to no one in particular, “if I went back to bed and tried it again, that maybe this morning would make more sense?”

            Before Vince or Greg could respond, Harry was back from the bathroom. “Thanks for the toothbrush, Theo,” he said as he shoved the toothbrush into one of his robe pockets. Then he turned to Draco, who was sitting on his bed putting his socks and shoes on. “I have to go, Draco,” Harry said and then leaned down to press a quick kiss to the blond’s lips.

            “Later, guys,” Harry said with a wave as he stepped out of the dorm room.

            Theo stared at the door for a long moment, just waiting for someone to shout or scream or yell at Harry. When nothing happened, he shook his head and turned back to getting ready for the day.

********************************

            After lunch, Harry sighed as he sat down underneath the tree at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Neville gave him a sympathetic look as he sat across from him.

            “Thanks, Nev,” Harry said fervently.

            “What happened now?” Draco said with a frown as he and Blaise joined them.

            Harry smiled up at Draco. “Neville rescued me from the interrogation Ron and Hermione have been giving me all day today. They wanted to know where I was last night after Madam Pomfrey let me go and they wanted to know what happened to land me in the infirmary.”

            “What did happen, Harry?” Draco asked as he sat next to Harry. “You said something about Weaselette,” Draco sneered the word, “ _attacking_ you?”

            Neville gasped and his eyes went wide. Given what had happened to him when Ginny attacked him, Harry supposed Neville would be horrified.  Harry shuddered and pressed his shoulder against Draco’s.

            “I was going to Remy’s office when the next thing I know I’m waking up,” Harry cleared his throat and then continued, “I’m waking up tied to a bed with Ginny straddling me.” Harry shuddered.

            Neville gasped and he and Blaise stared at Harry in horror. Even Draco’s rage was briefly overcome by horror at the direction of Harry’s story. He felt a bit nauseous too.

            “She said that as the last of the Potter line if I got her, a Pureblood girl…pregnant,” Harry choked on the word, “then I would be forced to marry her.”

            “Harry,” Blaise breathed in horror.

            Harry shook his head. “It was…damn close, but I managed to knock her out before any thing really happened. Just as I did Remy and Snape came in. Snape _Obliviated_ her, I got dressed and-”

            “You got _dressed_?” Draco asked in horror and rage.

            Harry shifted uncomfortably. “I-she-…my shirt was unbuttoned and,” Harry’s face flushed, “my trousers were unbuttoned and unzipped, but that was it.”

            “That was _it_?” Draco asked incredulously.

            “Well, after we left,” Harry rushed on, “I went down to Snape’s quarters. He and Remus stayed with me until I fell asleep.”

            “Why didn’t you send for me?” Draco asked, a little hurt in his voice. “Or tell me when you came to see me?”

            Harry shifted uncomfortably. “I hadn’t wanted to see anyone, but Remy and Snape. And then when I went to see you…I wasn’t ready to talk about it yet.” Harry slipped his arms around Draco’s waist and pressed a kiss to his neck. “Forgive me?”

            Draco sighed and snuggled closer to Harry. He was still thinking of was to maim the Weaselette, though.

            “But why were you in the infirmary, Harry?” Neville asked, frowning.

            Harry winced. “Well, apparently Ginny thought it through fairly well. She had taken some kind of fertility potion and while I was unconscious she gave me some kind of potion that…help men who couldn’t, ah, perform sexually,” Harry mumbled the last bit and then cleared his throat again. “Well, the potion she gave me was tainted and it didn’t do what it was supposed to. It made me sick instead.

            “Snape gave me some other potion that apparently interacts with the one Ginny made me take. Madam Pomfrey got a weird reading and Snape came in. He told her someone tried to poison me. I figured the best thing to say about what happened was nothing, so when Madam Pomfrey and the Headmaster asked I just said, I remembered heading for Gryffindor Tower and then the next thing I know I’m waking up in some dusty bedroom in a part of the castle I wasn’t familiar with. I told them I wandered around until I found something familiar and then, since I was feeling bad, I headed for the infirmary.

            “Anyway, it took a couple of days for the tainted potion to work its way out of my system,” Harry finished.

            “I’m surprised Professor Snape didn’t kill her,” Blaise said after a moment of stunned silence.

            “He and Remy both wanted to, but I wouldn’t let them,” Harry said, tightening his arms around Draco.

            “Why not?” Draco asked angrily. “I’m sure he knows spells that will kill her slowly and painfully.”

            Harry shook his head. “I didn’t want him to kill her. I don’t want you to either!” Harry said, catching the look on Draco’s face.

            “Why not?” Draco demanded.

            “Because,” Harry said carefully, “I have plans for her. For all of them actually.”

            “What kind of plans?” Draco asked suspiciously. He did not want to give up his fledgling plans for revenge against the bitch that had tried to…he couldn’t even think it.

            Harry shook his head. “I’m still…putting things into place. Let’s just say I’m going to do everything I can to see that Ron, Hermione and Ginny survive this war. Ginny and Ron especially.”

            No matter how much Draco asked, demanded and pouted, Harry refused to say anything more on his mysterious plans. Finally, Harry kissed Draco’s pouting mouth and said, “Draco, I’m not going to say a word about my plans. It might seem superstitious, but I don’t want to say anything out loud. I feel like, if I do, it’ll all go to hell. Just trust me? I promise, if everything goes as I plan, you’ll like the results.”

            Draco pouted some more, but had to be satisfied with that.

            Blaise cleared his throat. “Well then, should we get started on our review? Or was anyone still working on the essays due the week after next?”


	34. The Talk

            After dinner the first full day since Harry had been released from the infirmary, Harry and Neville met up with Draco and Blaise. Harry had set up a little surprise for the four of them. The other three followed after Harry and watched as he stopped at a painting of a bowl of fruit and _tickled_ a pear.

            Harry grinned at their stunned expressions when the entrance to the Hogwarts kitchens opened. Dobby, the one house elf Harry knew to be loyal to him above all others, had promised that none of the other elves that would be there would mention Harry’s visit to the Headmaster. Harry had spent nearly an hour assuring the elf that Draco was not going to hurt him, and was in fact very important to Harry, but Harry thought it was worth it.

            Harry sat with his arm around Draco as the four of them laughed and joked and enjoyed the treats the elves fixed for them. At one point, when Draco turned to Harry with a smirk on his face, Harry leaned down and kissed the blond breathless. As Draco pulled back to look at Harry with glazed eyes, Harry smiled down at him and said, “Congratulations, Draco. Snape let me see his memories of the Quidditch match and you were great.”

            Draco’s beautiful silver eyes darkened to a deep grey and he pulled Harry in for another breath-stealing kiss.

************************************

            After the trip to the kitchens, the next several days fell into new routine for Harry. He once again met regularly with his study group. They met more often now that the Quidditch season was over. Almost every moment outside of classes was spent studying with Draco, Blaise and Neville, though they did take occasional study breaks to keep from burning out.

            Harry often ate dinner in Remus’ office with him and then spent several hours with the werewolf. They talked and Remus taught him some spells that he had learned in his travels. Harry added quite a few spells to his notebook.

            At night, Harry went down to the dungeons. He showered in Snape’s quarters and then sat in Snape’s office with him. While Snape graded essays or worked on the Wolfsbane formula, Harry would study or, on rare occasions, read for pleasure. Eventually, Snape would head to bed. Harry would spend a few hours trying to get to sleep on the sofa before giving up and sneaking into the Slytherin dorms to join Draco.

            By the time Harry joined Draco, both were too tired for anything but sleepy cuddling before they drifted off, but both were satisfied with that. As Draco had noted after their second date, while the passion that always seemed to simmer just under the surface with them was amazing, it was the ability to enjoy the quiet moments that proved how solid their relationship truly was, how long it would last, how happy they could be together.

            Harry slept so well in bed with Draco that the other seventh year Slytherin boys quickly got used to seeing Harry in the mornings rushing about, hurrying to get dressed. Harry remembered to take a toothbrush with him when he took his clothes for the next day with him to Draco’s dorm room. The situation became routine enough that Harry finally noticed and laughed at the way the others (excepting Draco) made sure to not catch so much as a glimpse of him in his boxer-briefs.

            Theo became semi-obsessed with how Harry was getting away with it, in addition to _still_ wondering why Harry had left his toothbrush in _Professor Snape’s private quarters_.

            If it hadn’t been for Ron and Hermione, Harry would have said he was fairly happy. He managed to avoid them for the most part, but when they started commenting on Harry’s nightly disappearances, Harry started to worry they would mention it to Dumbledore. So, Harry had to add another step to his nightly routine. He had Neville help him slip Ron sleeping potions each night. As soon as Ron fell asleep, Harry drew his curtains on his bed and if any one asked, Neville would say that Harry went to bed early. In the mornings, since Neville was an early riser and none of the other boys were _ever_ up before him, he would open Harry’s bed-curtains and if anyone asked tell them that Harry was already up for the day.

            Draco and Blaise weren’t too happy at first when they found out Harry gave Neville a cake he had had the house elves make especially for his friend, but they calmed when Harry explained he was merely showing his appreciation for Neville’s help with Ron and Hermione.

            Altogether, Harry should have known it was going much to well to last.

***********************************

            Severus jerked awake with a hiss and clutched his burning forearm. He waited a moment for the worst of the pain to subside before throwing off his covers and climbing out of bed. He dressed quickly and slipped a variety of potions into secret pockets in his robes.

            Just before leaving, Severus peeked around the corner and saw Harry sleeping fitfully on the sofa. He frowned, but the mark still burning on his arm pulled him away and he left Hogwarts to deal with the Dark Lord.

            The meeting was brief, though three of the newest Death Eaters were tortured to death by the Dark Lord. Punishment for not being loyal enough or for not doing enough or whatever excuse the madman made that night.

            Severus was careful as always, but this time as the Dark Lord was distracted Severus looked around at those surrounding him. He looked closely at the older members, those who had been Death Eaters as long as he and Lucius especially. He could not be certain, but he saw enough to feel Harry’s plan to recruit Death Eaters to his third side in the war might be plausible after all.

            When the meeting ended, Severus went straight back to Hogwarts. Once back in his private quarters he check on Harry once again, thinking to offer a Dreamless Sleep if Harry had need of it.

            Severus glared at the neatly folded blanket with the pillow on top, just as Harry left them every morning. His glare intensified as he checked the time. Any number of reasons for Harry to have left in the middle of the night came to mind, but with the incident with the Weasley witch so recently, Severus was not inclined to merely assume Harry was back in Gryffindor Tower or off getting into some mischief or another.

            Severus left his quarters with a growl. As it was well known that Severus wandered around the school at night, no one would question his presence should he come across anyone. Severus left the dungeons and headed straight for the werewolf’s private quarters.

            His soft knock was answered almost immediately. When the door opened to reveal Remus Lupin wearing nothing more than a faded, threadbare pair of sleep pants, for a moment Severus forgot why he had come. Lupin obviously worked out or something to have such a nicely muscled body.

            “Severus?” Remus asked with a small frown. He reached up to run a hand through his sleep tousled hair, the smooth movement of muscle under skin drawing Severus’ eyes.

            Severus eyed the light brown hair sprinkled across lightly defined pecs and followed the trail of hair down…and he snapped his eyes back up when he realized what he was doing. Clearing whatever expression he had been wearing from his face, Severus scowled. “The other evening, you knew where Harry was. How?”

            Remus blinked in confusion at the question. “What? Why?” Remus eyes widened. “Has something happened to Harry?”

            “I am not certain,” Severus said, scowling still.

            Remus quickly pulled Severus into his room and went over to the desk in the corner. Severus followed, curious when the werewolf pulled out a folded, faded parchment that looked vaguely familiar. He missed the words Lupin muttered softly as he tapped the parchment, but he saw the results.

            Severus joined Lupin as the desk, glaring down at the parchment. “What is this, Lupin?”

            Remus ignored the question. “Look for Harry!”

            Both men scanned the map, searching for the little dot marked with Harry’s name. Finally, Remus found it. Severus turned to him when Remus gave a choked gasp. He followed the wolf’s eyes and then glared at the parchment as he saw Harry’s name…in the Slytherin dorms _quite_ close to a dot labeled ‘Draco Malfoy.’

            “Thank you, Lupin,” Severus said in a dark, silky voice. “I believe that is all I needed to know.”

            Remus shivered in pleasure at the sound of Severus’ voice. It took him a moment to process the words. When he did he spun around, as Severs was already heading for the door. “Wait! Severus, what are you going to do?” Remus reached out and grabbed Severus’ arm.

            Severus turned to him with a glare. He focused on Harry in bed with Draco to distract him from the fire that rushed through his veins at the touch of that hand to his arm, even with the layers of cloth between them. “He is in bed with another boy! What do you _think_ I’m going to do?” Severus hissed.

            Remus’ brows rose. “Severus, they are engaged.”

            Severus merely scowled deeper. “He is still in school! And there is a war going on!”

            Remus blinked in surprise and then hid his smile. It seemed that whatever issues still left for Harry and Severus to work out, Severus had come to _feel_ like Harry’s father. Remus suspected Severus only real objection was that _his son was not going to be having sex yet_. Remus tried not to laugh at the poor man. He could sympathize, having come to feel, however unwarranted or undeserved, much like a father to Harry.

            “He’s a legal adult in the wizarding world,” Remus pointed out. He knew that the man was not going to listen to reason. He also knew if Severus were to find out he thought it was unbelievably adorable that Severus was getting so worked up over this that Severus would likely hex him.

            “He is still a student! With better things to be doing than…than…!” Severus scowled more fiercely.

            Remus was careful to keep all traces of his smile from his face. “Well, don’t be too hard on him, Severus.”

            Severus drew himself up, sniffed disdainfully and swept out of the room.

            Remus finally let out a chuckle as he walked over and shut the door after the other man. It was only after he turned to put the Marauder’s Map away that he realized how much their conversation reminded him of one he heard James’ parents have one day when they first realized James was sexually active. For some reason, the thought made Remus blush bright red.

************************************

            Severus swept into the Slytherin common room with a fierce glare on his face. He stalked to the seventh year boys’ dorm and threw the door open. He quickly stepped inside and shut the door behind him. A flick of his wand and the lights were suddenly blazing brightly. Another flick of his wand and a loud gong sounded. He glared while he waited for the boys to wake.

            Harry and Draco jerked awake along with the others. Harry reached up on the headboard for his glasses and his wand, grateful he never left them on the bedside table when he stayed the night in the Slytherin dorms. As Draco slipped out of his bed, Harry quickly used his invisibility spell and slipped out of bed after him. Harry frowned in confusion, much like the Slytherins surrounding him, at the sight of the Slytherin Head of House glaring around the room.

            Severus waited until he had the attention of every boy in the room and then began speaking. “Draco, do you know why I’m here?”

            Draco shook his head, confused over why his godfather was so upset.

            “Really?”

            “Honestly, Professor,” Draco said respectfully.

            “Is that so?” Severus purred. “Then you have no objection to opening the curtains to your bed?”

            Draco paled the slightest bit. “Why should I?” Still he made no move to do so.

            Severus raised a brow at his godson. “Well?” he drawled.

            Draco turned slowly and drew open the curtains surrounding his bed. His sigh of relief at not seeing Harry in his bed was silent. Draco turned back to his godfather.

            Severus had noticed, quite interestingly, that Draco was not the only one who seemed to unconfused about his request. He narrowed his eyes and looked around the room. Severus remembered Harry stating that nearly all of the seventh year Slytherins had no loyalty to the Dark Lord…

            Severus eyes swept around the room, looking for his son. Remembering the spell Harry had used when they were in the Headmaster’s quarters, Severus tried a different tactic.

            “Harry, if you do not come out this instant I will lock up all of your books except your textbooks,” Severus said firmly, ignoring the looks he received from his students.

            Harry glared at Snape, but slipped onto Blaise’s bed to drop the spell. Then he stepped out, still glaring at Snape. “That was a cheap shot! And how did you even know I was in here, anyway?”

            “Come with me.” Severus glared at his son and removed the wards from the door. Severus watched Harry give him a sullen, sulky look. As he turned towards the door, Severus paused and then turned back. “And Draco, do not think I will not be mentioning this to your father!”

            Harry watched the minute wince that crossed Draco’s face. He walked across the room towards the door. As soon as Snape turned his back, Harry turned to Draco and mouthed, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

            Once in the corridor outside the dorm room, with the door shut, Severus turned back to his son. “You may use the spell to get to my quarters unseen, but I expect you to be there when I arrive.”

            Harry rolled his eyes and quickly cast the spell. In no time at all, Harry was back in Snape’s private quarters with the man glaring at him. Harry sat on the sofa and glared back.

            “What?” Harry growled in exasperation.

            Before Severus could decide where to begin, there was a knock at his office door. He growled out, “Stay put!” to Harry and went to answer the door.

            Harry glared at Snape’s back and resisted the childish urge to make faces or stick his tongue out. Harry was cold and tired and he had been sleeping so well! Harry’s eyes widened when Snape came back, scowling more fiercely yet and followed by Remus.

            “Remus! _You_ told him where I was?” Harry asked, glaring.

            Remus gave Harry a gentle smile. “Harry, we were worried about you. When Severus came to me and said he didn’t know where you were or what might have happened to you, of course we were going to look for you.”

            Harry bit his lip, feeling slightly guilty. He certainly had never considered…he peeked at Snape, who was still glaring at him. He tried a small smile. “I’m sorry. I hadn’t meant to worry you.”

            Severus switched his glare to the gently smiling werewolf. This was _not_ how the conversation was supposed to go. Severus turned back to Harry. “Well, now that you are here, perhaps we should turn to another concern that has arisen,” Severus said smoothly.

            Harry gave Remus a questioning look. He became worried when the werewolf merely gave him a sympathetic look. “What?” Harry asked nervously.

            Severus glared at Harry once more. “You may be engaged and you may be an adult in the Ministry’s eyes, but as a student I still think it is _inadvisable_ to say the least for you to have already become sexually active. Furthermore-”

            “WHAT?!” Harry shrieked. His face turned bright red and he stared at his father in horror.

            Severus gave Harry a reproving look. “If you believe yourself adult enough to engage in such activities you should be able to at least speak of them in an adult manner.”

            Harry turned pleading eyes to Remus, but seeing only that sympathetic expression still, Harry turned back to Snape. “I’m not-! I haven’t-!”

            “It was quite obvious you were in bed with Draco, Harry,” Remus said, somewhat apologetically.

            “Well, _yes_ , but we weren’t…! We were just…cuddling, if anything!” Harry said, face hot with embarrassment.

            “Cuddling?” Severus said and lifted a brow. “Is that what you wish to call it?”

            “That’s all it was!” Harry said.

            “Perhaps the explanation of certain facts should be repeated for you, Harry,” Severus began. Harry felt himself blush brighter, as impossible as he would have thought it, and he glared at Snape.

            Remus looked at Harry with wide eyes. “Actually, Severus, I’m not sure anyone has had that particular talk with Harry.” Both men turned to him at that. Harry looked at him with a betrayed expression while Severus’ face was full of disbelief.

            Severus turned back to Harry. “Is that true?” he demanded.

            Harry said nothing, but glared at Remus. Remus gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Harry, but if you are getting married, you really should have that particular discussion.”

            Severus, both in agreement with Lupin’s statement and because he could think of nothing more likely to cause someone to think twice about engaging in such activities as the possibility that it will result in _that_ discussion, sat down across from Harry and said, “Well, perhaps it is time that we have a little talk, Harry.”

            Harry stared at the two men in horror. And yet, if they were going to make him listen to this… “Are you gay then?” Harry asked, tilting his head and looking at Snape. “I mean, you were with my mother, so obviously you like women, but do you like men as well, then? Have you ever been with a man?”

            Harry’s eyes widened at the slight flush that came to Snape’s cheeks.

            “No,” Severus said, refusing to look at the damned werewolf he still dreamed about, “but if I am not mistaken, Lupin’s tastes run in that direction.”

            Remus cleared his throat and tried not to think of how it affected him to hear that Severus had _no_ experience with men. “Ah, yes, I…have some experience with men.” He fought off a blush at making such a statement in front of Harry.

            Severus gave a sharp nod and pushed aside his reaction to Lupin’s statement to be examined later. “You may be engaged to Draco and you may be only interested in men, but there is no reason you can not have a…complete picture.” Severus gave Harry a pointed look. “There is no reason you can not be given both versions, if you will.”

            Harry groaned and picked up the pillow sitting on the sofa next to him and buried his face in it. _This is not happening!_ he thought semi-hysterically.

**********************************

            When Harry joined his study partners the next day, he was still wearing that faint look of horror he had worn for hours the night before. As Harry was the last to arrive, Neville had already been caught up on the events that had taken place in the Slytherin dorms. However, as the other three caught sight of Harry’s expression, they began to worry.

            “Harry?” Draco asked, worriedly.

            “What happened last night?” Blaise asked.

            Harry looked at all three of them and wondered how to express the depths of horror he was still suffering.

            “Harry?” Neville asked, alarmed that Harry had yet to say anything.

            Harry blinked at Neville and decided to ask Blaise. Surely having your mum explain the details of sex between two men had been nearly as bad as… “Blaise, what did your mother say when you told her you were gay?”

            The other three blinked at the question. Blaise frowned. “Well, she told me I was still expected to produce an heir and I needed to take that into account when I was choosing my…husband.” Blaise blushed and glanced over at Neville, who also blushed as he noticed the look.

            “Harry?” Draco asked. “Surely, he didn’t have a problem with…I mean, he knows we are engaged!”

            Harry shook his head. “I just meant…” He looked Blaise in the eye. “Did she consider your…self-education on certain matters…sufficient?”

            Blaise frowned and then slowly horror leeched into his expression. “He didn’t,” Blaise breathed.

            “Didn’t _what_?” Draco demanded impatiently.

            “Well?” Harry asked, needing to know he was not the only one to have suffered that particular horror.

            Blaise nodded. “She was the one who bought the books for me. Though,” he grimaced, “some of the first ones she only gave to me after…making notes.” He flushed with embarrassment.

            That made Harry feel slightly better, but it was still no where near what he had had to suffer the night before.

            “He didn’t _what_?” Draco demanded again.

            “He gave Harry _the talk_ ,” Blaise said.

            Draco looked between Harry and Blaise blankly.

            “Oh!” Neville said. And then, as he realized Harry received _the talk_ from **_Professor Snape_**. “Oh,” he repeated, the small sound carrying a wealth of sympathy. He grimaced. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, my Gran thought it would be inappropriate for a woman to, uh, give me _the talk_ so she sent me to my Great Uncle Algie the summer after third year. My Great Uncle had a reputation for being…” Neville sighed, “barmy. But my Gran insisted.

            “So I went to his house for two weeks during the summer. Before my Gran left, she told Great Uncle Algie he was supposed to give me _the talk_ and then left. The first three days were horrible.” Neville shuddered. “I couldn’t take it any more and I told him I didn’t like girls I liked guys.” Neville shook his head. “I don’t know who was more relieved.

            “Then he starts, clear and as sane as I was, to…well,” Neville grimaced. “Yeah. So turns out, he pretends to be barmy so that he don’t have to introduce his boyfriends to my Gran. My last day there I met the guy he was dating at the time, who I swear I think graduated from Hogwarts only in my first year!”

            That actually made Harry fell a lot better. He certainly hadn’t had to suffer through three days of incoherent mumblings about what went on between a man and a woman, but still… “I had to get _both_ versions. Snape gave me the boy/girl version and Remy made me listen to the boy/boy version. Some of it I might actually tell you later, Blaise. After the horror fades a bit,” Harry said shuddering.

            “What are you talking about?” Draco demanded, red faced. He was embarrassed and angry that he didn’t know what they were talking about.

            The other three boys blinked and shared a look. Finally, Blaise leaned over and whispered into Draco’s ear. Draco’s eyes went wide and he paled and then blushed furiously.

            “You’ve never had _the talk_ , Draco?” Neville asked when Blaise was done whispering.

            Draco gave them all a haughty look. “My father insisted I learn what happens between men and women in the week before my wedding. It’s an old tradition. It was hardly something I was looking forward to and certainly not something I would subject myself too sooner necessary. Besides, you learn quite a bit living in dorms. Just because I‘ve never had an official ‘talk’ doesn’t mean I don’t know anything.”

            “Well that’s something to look forward to,” Harry muttered. “Gah! I just can’t imagine your father…Your mother maybe, but not your father…”

            “Wait!” Draco said, scowling. “Why would you need to know what happens between men and women? We are engaged!”

            Harry rolled his eyes. “He was just being difficult.”

            “So why did he feel the need to, you know, have _the talk_?” Neville asked with a small frown.

            Harry sighed. “He found out I had been sneaking into the Slytherin dorms and sleeping in Draco’s bed. He thought we were…” Harry blushed. “Um, doing more than sleeping.”

            Draco’s eyes went wide and he blushed brightly. Then a thought seemed to strike him and he paled. “He’s going to tell my father we…?”

            Harry blinked at the little ‘ _eep_ ’ sound Draco made. “Actually, I made it clear, um, that wasn’t an announcement he needed to make,” Harry said, blushing a little. “But you may be, ah, having your _talk_ with your father sooner than you thought,” he finished apologetically.

***********************************

            That night, when Harry came out of the shower, he was surprised to find Snape waiting for him. “What?” Harry asked warily.

            Severus raised an eyebrow at the question. “Have you changed your mind then about having the binding spells removed?”

            Harry blinked. “We can do it tonight? Now?”

            “Unless you have changed your mind…”

            Harry shook his head emphatically. “No, I’m ready!”

            “I thought it best to do this in here,” Severus said leading the way to the room that was empty save for the fireplace connected to Malfoy Manor. The room was empty but for the fireplace, which gave them a lot of room. “As removing the particular and unusual combination of binding spells you are under is far more complicated than merely removing the spell your mother placed on you, this may take some time.”

            Harry nodded. “Ready when you are,” he said, trying not to let his nervousness show. From what Snape had said, removing the spells should result in little noticeable change in him, but Harry could not help but worry. What if Snape were wrong and he _didn’t_ get his Quidditch skills from his mum? It’s not like he ever intended to play professionally, but it is something he enjoyed. Or what if it’s not as easy for him to focus as it had been in the last several months?

            “Harry?” Severus asked.

            Harry blinked and turned to the older man. “Yes?”

            “If you would like to change your mind…”

            Harry shook his head again. “No.”

            “Very well. Step into the center of the diagram. Take care not to smudge or erase the chalk lines,” Severus said.

            Harry carefully stepped into the center of the diagram. Once there, he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths to calm himself. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Snape’s face drawn into a fierce mask of concentration. There was chanting and strange wand movements and then weird colored lights with no apparent source. Harry didn’t want to miss anything so he didn’t close his eyes again, but he did take several more deep breaths.

            Harry didn’t know how much time passed before he saw the web of colored lines take shape in front of him. He watched, nervous and fascinated as the web unraveled. There was nothing but relief as the murky blue-green line representing Ginny’s attempts at love spells pulled away from the other lines and the ends broke away from Harry. He watched as, much like a knot being picked apart, the line was slowly and painstakingly drawn away from the web until it was no longer touching the web or Harry. Then it seemed to just…melt away.

            Harry let out an audible sigh of relief as it faded and then he looked over at Snape. The man had sweat running down his face, but he looked every bit as determined as when he started. Harry turned his eyes back to the two lines left.

            Slowly, much more slowly than with the blue-green line, the ends of the burgundy colored line frayed. Harry watched carefully, as this was the line that represented Dumbledore’s binding spells, the ones that were supposed to be impossible to remove without killing the person they were placed on.

            Finally, the frayed ends snapped and the line was no longer attached to Harry. However, as the frayed ends drifted away from Harry, the burgundy line pulsed and tightened around the bright red line of his mother’s spell. It seemed to try to strangle the brighter colored line before it began to sink into it.

            Harry heard Snape start to speak much more quickly and Harry suspected he needed to have his mother spell removed from him before the darker line disappeared completely into his mother’s spell. Rather than snapping as the ends of the blue-green line had done or fraying as the burgundy line had, the ends of the bright red line of his mother’s spell seemed to unravel and loosen until it was no longer touching Harry.

            Just as the ends left Harry, the darker line pulsed once more and then disappeared into the bright red line. Snape continued to chant until the now merged lines slowly faded away. As Snape’s voice faded, Harry looked at him. The man was obviously drained. As Harry watched, Snape continued to murmur spells under his breath as he meticulously erases chalk lines in a set pattern until finally, Harry was standing in the middle of the room and it looked just as it had when they had first entered.

            Harry could see how much the ritual had exhausted Snape. When Harry thought he saw the man sway, he stuck a hand out as if to catch him and said, “Why don’t we go sit down? I’ll fix you a cup of tea.”

            Snape glared down his nose at Harry in that way that Harry used to resent so much. “I am not an invalid.”

            “Nope,” Harry said easily, actually reaching out and grabbing Snape’s arm to drag him from the room. “You are a man who had just performed a long, difficult ritual and you deserve a nice cup of tea.”

            As Harry gently pushed Snape into one of the comfortable armchairs in the living room, Snape muttered, “Perhaps I should have gone over my notes one more time before performing the ritual. Obviously something has gone wrong.”

            Harry rolled his eyes and went into the small kitchen and fixed tea. “Nothing went wrong,” he said as he brought the tea into the living room. He handed Snape a cup and watched as Snape looked at him suspiciously while taking a drink of tea. After Snape had swallowed, Harry smirked and said, “I’ve just used this opportunity to get back at you for the little ‘talk’ you insisted on yesterday by slipping a little something into your tea.”

            Snape quickly jerked the cup of tea, which he had lifted for a second drink, away from his face. A look of horror flashed across his face before he glared down at his tea in suspicion. Harry burst out laughing.

            “What did you put in the tea, Harry?” Severus asked wearily.

            Harry’s laughter slowly faded until he was smiling at the other man. “Nothing. I just thought it would make you feel better if you thought I had.” He reached over and held up the teapot and made a show of pouring himself a cup and then taking a drink of tea.

            Severus gave a little sniff and then went back to drinking his tea.

            As Harry sat there drinking tea, he tried to see what felt different. He frowned as searched through his thoughts and emotions and tried to find something different from the way it had been before. He shook his head as he could not find anything different. Then again, Snape had said that Ginny’s spells had pretty much only had the effect of canceling out the effect of Dumbledore’s spells…but surely he should feel some difference at the loss of the spell his mother placed on him, shouldn’t he?

            Maybe it would be something that would take a while to notice. Maybe it was something subtle that would not be easily noticed at first. Harry shook his head again and decided to put the matter aside for now. He couldn’t feel any difference right now so he might as well put it out of his mind for a bit.

            Harry turned his focus to the exhausted man sitting across from him.

            Snape had saved his life many times, even before he knew of their connection. And then, since they found out…Harry hadn’t been the only one to actually make an effort. They’ve talked a lot and spent a lot of time together even when they weren’t talking. They learned quite a bit about each other in the past several months. Snape had put a lot of effort into removing the spells from Harry.

            But more than all of that…Harry remembered him the night of Ginny’s attack. He remembered the surreptitious glances of concern, the fury on his face when talking of Ginny. Harry even remembered seeing a flash of _pride_ on his face. Then there was the way the man stayed beside him because he asked, the way he made peace with Remus for Harry, staying beside the other man even though it was obvious things were awkward between them. And Harry would never forget the soothing murmurs that woke him from that nightmare where he had relived Ginny’s attack.

            Harry took a sip of his tea and looked at the man that was his father. Harry used to think that because Ron called Arthur ‘Dad’ and Draco called Lucius ‘Father’ that it meant that Draco wasn’t as close to his father as Ron was. But having seen the way Draco and Lucius were together, Harry knew better now. It wasn’t that Draco and Lucius weren’t as close. It was just that Lucius was more a ‘Father’ than a ‘Dad.’

            It was the same for Snape. The man was really just more of a ‘Father’ than a ‘Dad.’ When Harry found out that Snape was his father, he had hoped that if they could get past, well, their past together then maybe someday he could have a dad. And maybe, if things worked out the way Harry hoped, he would. But it wouldn’t be Snape. And that was okay.

            Maybe it was even a good thing. Thinking back to the way Remus and Snape had both been there for him the night Ginny attacked him and the way the two men had teamed up on him the night before to give him _the talk_ …

            If Harry had his way, he’d be able to call Remus ‘Dad’ someday and it’d just get confusing with two ‘Dad’s around. But ‘Dad’ and ‘Father,’ that’d work out just fine. So…Severus Snape…

            “Father,” Harry murmured.

            Severus jerked his head up and nearly spilled tea down the front of his robes at the sound of the soft spoken word. Harry flushed and looked away, but…something had changed between them. Severus could feel it. And he didn’t think it had anything to do at all with the ritual they had just performed.


	35. Loyalties and Dark Lords

            Severus stood next to Lucius on one side of the large conference room at Zabini Estate watching as Victoria Zabini and Narcissa carefully layered wards over the room in preparation for the meeting between Harry and select Death Eaters. They were being extra cautious in preparing for the meeting as it could cost them all their lives should word get back to the Dark Lord. They were placing several layers of strong wards on the room, taking turns in order to prevent from exhausting themselves.

            As Lucius and Severus waited, Severus casually said, “Tell me, Lucius. Have you spoken with Draco yet on what he can expect on his wedding night?”  
            Lucius turned to his friend in surprise. “What? What brought that to mind?”

            Severus kept his eyes on the women as he answered. Having told Lucius after the last Death Eater meeting about the Weasley bitch’s attack on Harry and the reason Harry could no longer shower in Gryffindor Tower, he merely said, “When I left to attend the last meeting with the Dark Lord, Harry was sleeping on my sofa. When I returned he was gone. Given what had happened…” Severus scowled and Lucius nodded solemnly. “Well, when I finally found him he was in Draco’s bed.”

            Lucius stared at Severus blankly for a minute before turning to watch his wife. “Tell me they were not…”

            “No. However, I thought it a good idea to have a certain talk with Harry and I believed you would do well to do the same with Draco,” Severus said.

            Lucius turned to Severus and raised a brow. “And just what did you tell him? As far as I know you’ve no more experience with men than I.”

            Severus kept his eyes on the women. “I told Harry what he could expect with a woman. Lupin told him what to expect with another man.”

            “Really?” Lucius drawled, turning back to his wife. “Well, I can’t say that surprises me. While Black always followed Potter around like a lost dog, rumors always suggested Black was having an affair with Lupin.”

            Severus was careful to keep from scowling. He did not care for the reminder and he certainly did not like being jealous of Sirius Black! Severus frowned lightly at the thought. He had thought a great deal about his attraction to the wolf and he had come to several realizations.

            He had always been aware of Lupin in a way that he was not aware of anyone else. After finding out the man was a werewolf, Severus had assumed that on some level a part of him suspected it. However, recent events had him carefully reconsidering his old thoughts and feelings and Severus was surprised to realize that he had always been somewhat attracted to Lupin.

            He was unaware of any _physical_ attraction until recently, but even when Lupin had been a part of James Potter’s little group, Severus had not truly hated him. He had been angry with him, yes, but he had not hated him. When Lupin had studied with him and Lily for NEWTs, Severus had been impressed with the wolf’s intellect. Then again, that was the attraction Severus recognized in hindsight. Severus had always appreciated Lupin’s intelligence.

            And while Severus had never been attracted to any other man, he had realized that other than Lily, he had not been attracted to women either. Even with Lily, the emotional connection had come first. Though perhaps that was expected as they were so young when Severus fell in love with her, it did have Severus conducting similar thought experiments as those he had done after discovering his attraction to Lupin.

            As he had half expected, he felt the same indifference to women in general as he did to men. Even when pleasuring himself, Severus had always focused on the physical sensations he had enjoyed and had not devoted much time or effort to fantasy. Were it not for the fierce desire he had felt for Lily and the desire he felt for Lupin, and the fact that there was no denying he had sexual urges, Severus would think he was asexual.

            Severus was more than capable of recognizing when women, and yes men too, were attractive, but when it came to wanting or desiring someone Severus found that pleasing physical features alone were not enough. The more he examined his feelings and desires for Lily and Lupin and people in general, the more he realized that personality and intelligence were extreme turn-ons for him.

            Severus had even realized that the reason he had enjoyed having Lupin hold him down was that he had liked the sudden change from quiet, respectful Lupin to strong, confident Lupin. Surprisingly, Severus found he liked the contrast as well as each side of the wolf.

            Part of Lily’s appeal to him, beyond being his childhood friend, had been her confidence and exuberance and her intelligence. Lupin’s intelligence and the mischief he at times allowed to shine through his shy, gentle demeanor had always been attractive to him, Severus realized. But his feelings for Lily, Black and Potter had clouded that fact.

            Now that he had finally dealt with his feelings for Lily and now that Black and Potter were no longer around, Severus had nothing to distract him. He could not deny the thoughts that flashed through his mind as Lupin told Harry what happened between two men in bed. Thoughts of doing such things with Lupin, yes, but also a great deal of jealousy as Severus thought of how the wolf had come to possess this knowledge.

            After Lily, Severus had just assumed he was straight. Now, he could not deny the fantasies he had indulged in of being with another man, of being with Lupin. However, while Severus was rather easily coming to terms with his desire for Lupin, these… _feelings_ were another matter altogether. Desire was one thing and jealousy quite another.

            Severus was pulled from his wandering thoughts by the sound of Lucius’ voice.

            “Severus?” Lucius repeated, raising a brow.

            Severus turned to him and pretended his mind had not just been elsewhere. He raised a brow at Lucius in return.

            “I asked if you thought Lupin would consider giving me some idea of what I might tell Draco?” Lucius repeated.

            Severus turned away as he said, “I’m sure he would.”

            Thankfully, Severus was saved from having to continue that line of thought as the women finished and it was his and Lucius’ turn to set a layer of wards.

***********************************

            Harry reached up and played with his necklace as he examined the bookshelf in front of him, an unconscious act he found himself engaging in more and more since Ginny’s attack. Behind him Blaise and Draco talked quietly as they played a game of wizard’s chess. Harry chose two large tomes and walked over to one of the tables scattered throughout the library at Zabini Estate.

            As Harry opened the first book he had chosen, he tried to keep his mind off of what was going to be happening in just a few hours. He had done all of the planning he could do. Going over all of it again would only make him doubt himself. Even so, his mind went over it once more.

            Lucius and Severus were going to tell the chosen Death Eaters individually that the Dark Lord had set up a secret meeting that they were expected to attend and that they were to tell no one, not even fellow Death Eaters of the meeting. Each would be given a portkey that would deposit them in the conference room at the same time. The wards Severus, Lucius, Narcissa and Victoria were setting would prevent anyone from leaving and would temporarily bind their magic so that they would not be able to attack Harry. Or to defend themselves if it came to that.

            Blaise and Draco were there to speak about the meetings the Slytherin students have been having for years, providing proof for each of them of their lack of loyalty to the Dark Lord. Then it would be Harry’s turn to make his presentation.

            Harry huffed and turned back to his book. He had added several spells to his notebook by the time he heard the library door open. He looked up to see Victoria Zabini walk into the room. After a glance in her son’s direction, the elegant woman walked over to Harry.

            “Lucius, Severus and Narcissa are adding the last of the wards now,” she said as she reached the table Harry was sitting at.

            Harry stood and said politely, “Mrs. Zabini.”

            She looked at him for a long moment before saying, “Mr. Potter. I am surprised we have not met sooner given your friendship with my son and the fact that you have already been a guest in my home.” She waved her hand in a graceful dismissive gesture as Harry shifted uncomfortably. “I meant no criticism. Blaise had asked to have a friend over and I agreed.”

            Harry nodded and said, “I do appreciate this and that you are letting me stay here for a while after NEWTs.”

            Again, the woman waved her hand dismissively. “As I told my son, your idea of a third side in this war intrigued me. You have certainly displayed some very Slytherin cunning as well as that brash recklessness inherent in Gryffindors.” Victoria looked at Harry curiously, wondering about this young man in front of her.

            He certainly was much as Blaise described him, but he was far different from every thing she had ever heard of the famous Boy-Who-Lived. There was a sense of calm in his demeanor and a steadiness to his gaze that made him seem mature and dependable. Which was quite an unusual thought for a woman with seven marriages behind her, most of which ended due to infidelities and other betrayals on her husbands’ part.

            Harry’s only response was a secretive smile. Before she could question him, the library door opened and Lucius stepped in.

            “The wards are set and they are scheduled to arrive shortly,” Lucius said.

            Harry looked longingly at the two books he had on the table. Victoria caught this look and decided to trust her son’s judgment. “You may borrow them if you like. Just bring them back with you when you return after NEWTs.” With that she swept from the room after Lucius, not even giving Harry a chance to thank her.

            Harry exchanged a look with his friend and boyfriend and they followed after the adults.

************************************

            Severus and Lucius had just gotten their suspicious fellow Death Eaters to sit down at the large conference table when Harry, Blaise and Draco came into the room. Harry couldn’t help the grin that came to his face as the group rose and they all pointed their wands at him.

            “Well,” Harry said cheerfully, “this looks familiar.”

            “What the hell is going on here, Malfoy?” demanded a woman Harry knew just had to be Daphne Greengrass’ mother.

            The group became restless as they each realized that they could not perform any spells. Lucius stepped forward and said calmly, “You are here to listen to a proposition and before you leave, you will have to make a decision.”

            Angry muttering broke out among the group. Harry said impatiently, “Oh, come on. It’s not like a single person in this room is actually loyal to Voldemort.” The group got louder at that, each trying to insist that none were more loyal than them. Harry rolled his eyes. “Not according to your children,” Harry shouted.

            As the group turned to glare at him, Harry shrugged and motioned Draco and Blaise forward. The two went through every person present, offering comments or actions their children had observed (or for the few present without children, comments or actions observed by others’ children) that indicated a lack of commitment to the Dark Lord’s cause.

            The group stirred uneasily but sat as Severus came forward and said, “Now sit down or I will report every one of you to the Dark Lord.”

            Harry grinned at them as they sat. The others that had helped set this meeting up also took seats around the large conference table, leaving the presentation of his idea up to Harry.

            “Right, well, now that we all know where we stand on the Dark Lord issue, let’s talk about why you won’t join me,” Harry began.

            Before he could say another word, the group broke out in objections. Harry glared impatiently around the room as comments were made about how they would never join Dumbledore. Suddenly, Harry smacked his fist down on the table, grabbing everyone’s attention.

            “I didn’t say anything about joining _Dumbledore_!” Harry shouted. “In fact…!” Harry broke off and blinked as the thought occurred to him. Seeing the group of Death Eaters looking at him, he took a deep breath and put the thought aside to examine later.

            “What did you mean then?” one man asked suspiciously. Harry couldn’t place him, but he suspected this was one of the Death Eaters without children.

            “I said, I wanted to talk about you joining _me_. I assure you, I am not blind to Dumbledore’s faults.” A grim look came to Harry’s face. “In fact, I know better than any of you what that bastard is capable of.” He took another deep breath. “Now, the reason you are here is because I’ve decided I don’t much like the options available in this war. So, I’ve decided to create a third side. And I want you to join me.”

            “Why would we do that? We have enough problems as it is!” someone said.

            Harry shook his head. “Several reasons. First, I’m the only one who can defeat Voldemort. Second-”

            “Wait, what do you mean?” another asked.

            Harry told them of the prophecy. “So you see, if you want to be free of him, I have to win. That’s incentive enough to help me I would think. And given that I am also planning to get rid of Dumbledore…”

            “What!” several voices cried out.

            Harry nodded. “I’ve even managed to recruit some of his people already as well. If you join me…with so many people working from within, we should be able to bring them both down.”

            Harry spent hours talking to the group of Death Eaters, giving them reasons and answering questions. He refused to tell them why he no longer supported Dumbledore at first, but finally he realized that as long as they had no reason to believe he truly had turned his back on the old man they would never agree to join him. So, he gave them an edited version of events, saying only that he had discovered some unpleasant truths about the man, including that the man had used some extremely dark spells on him. He did not tell them what spells, but a few carefully worded comments from Severus convinced them Harry was sincere in his desire to get rid of Dumbledore as well as the Dark Lord.

            The meeting lasted hours. Harry did most of the talking, but occasionally Severus, Lucius, Narcissa or even Victoria would interject a comment. Even Blaise and Draco interrupted a few times. Mostly, though Severus, the Malfoys and the Zabinis watched the group carefully, looking for any signs that someone planned to take this information to the Dark Lord.

            Finally, after several hours of heated discussion a silence settled over the room. Harry sighed and stepped back from where he had been leaning over the table. “Well, I can give you a little time to think it over, but you need to make your decision before you leave.”

            Harry settled into a chair between Blaise and Draco and waited. The silence lingered. First, people looked thoughtful, but after a while they began to look at each other, each waiting for someone else to speak up first.

            Victoria sighed and stood. “While we wait, why don’t we have something to drink?” With a clap of her hands, drinks appeared in front of each person.

            Everyone looked at the drinks suspiciously until Harry gave a loud sigh of exasperation and leaned forward and took a large drink from the glass in front of him. Licking his lips and sitting his glass back on the table he raised a brow and looked around the table pointedly.

            Most were still suspicious, but a few hesitantly took a sip of their drinks. As the others noticed no change in those that took a drink, more and more sipped their drink. Harry waited, counting off how many drank from their glass. Finally, as the last person sipped their drink, he smiled.

            They seemed to have forgotten that they had each arrived directly in front of the chair they were sitting in. Harry and his group had planned that carefully. Every drink other than those in front of Harry and those that had set this meeting up contained a special potion. Not Veritaserum, that would have been detected immediately, but these people seemed to have forgotten that Severus was one of those that had set the meeting up.

            As the potion took effect, nearly all at once, the group of Death Eaters became frozen. A few took longer than most and tried to rise in alarm, but they fell back into their seats as the potion effect them too.

            Harry stood and smiled gently. “I hope you can forgive me, but given the fact that if one of you reported back to the Dark Lord every other person in this room would likely be tortured to death…Well, we are just going to use a little Veritaserum to make sure you tell the truth when you tell us what you think of joining me.”

            Severus, Lucius, Narcissa and Victoria went around the room dosing each person with Veritaserum and questioning them thoroughly. Harry was shocked when, by the time they were through, every single person admitted they would join Harry. Despite his arguments and the statement of the Slytherin students, he had been sure that at least a couple of people would be too afraid or too mistrusting to join him.

            When the last person had sworn allegiance to Harry under Veritaserum, Lucius addressed them as they recovered from both the potion that had been in their drink and the Veritaserum. “Now that you’ve made your choice it is too late to change your mind. You all know what would happen if the Dark Lord found out about you, so I suggest you don’t betray this group least the truth of your own loyalties come to light. I’m sure you all have a great deal to think over. We will let you know as soon as we have a time and date for the next meeting.”

            Lucius and the others who had set the wards lifted them and the Death Eaters used their portkeys to leave. As soon as the last one was gone, Victoria turned to the others and said, “Why don’t we adjourn to the sitting room? It is much more comfortable.”

            They moved into the sitting room and Victoria had another round of refreshments delivered. As they relaxed, they discussed the meeting.

            “That went surprisingly well,” Victoria said.

            “Yes,” Harry said. “I’m surprised that not one person had to be _Obliviated_. I was sure that at least some of them would decide they’d be better off sticking with Voldemort.”

            Lucius shook his head. “After hearing about the prophecy they realized that there was no chance of being rid of him without you. That you offered to rid them of Dumbledore as well was impossible to resist.”

            “Speaking of…” Severus said, turning to Harry with a slight frown. “What was it that you started to say about Dumbledore? I noticed you cut yourself off.”

            Harry reached up and rubbed his forehead and said wearily. “I just realized…the prophecy could just as easily apply to Dumbledore as Voldemort. Remember what it said? _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…_

            “I’m not sure about my mum, but you’ve survived twice when he’s tried to kill you and you’ve recreated the Wolfsbane potion, that counts as defying him three times, right?” Harry asked. “And-”

            “Excuse me?” Victoria asked politely, not certain she heard what she just thought she heard.

            Harry blinked as he realized that Blaise hadn’t had a chance to tell her about Snape being his father. He looked at Snape and asked, “Do you want to tell her?”

            Once more, Severus found himself explaining the details of what had happened over Christmas break and some of the more important facts of what had happened since. Upon hearing this, Victoria sent Blaise for her pensive and demanded to see the memory of Dumbledore. Afterwards she just sat and looked thoughtful for a long moment before suddenly demanding to see Harry in his proper form.

            After Harry changed back to his ‘Potter’ form, mostly so that his clothes would fit properly again, Severus said impatiently, “Now, Harry you were saying you thought the prophecy applied to Albus?” He frowned for a moment. “I suppose I can see how most of it applies. Being my son certainly gave you the power to be rid of the binding spells.”

            “Ah!” Narcissa cried. “By choosing to use you to oppose the Dark Lord, he marked you as his equal as well, making you as much a symbol for Light as he is!”

            “But the prophecy specifically said the Dark Lord,” Draco said.

            “Yes, but it didn’t say he had to be acknowledged as such. Dumbledore might be the self-proclaimed leader of the Light side, but I think we can all agree he is a Dark Lord in his own right. Hell, he’s _worse_ than Voldemort. He’s the reason Voldemort is the way he is!” Harry said.

            “Two Dark Lords. Wonderful,” Blaise muttered.

            “I know one thing,” Victoria said. “Dumbledore needs to be killed first. It will be far harder to kill him once the Dark Lord’s dead. We will never be able to convince everyone of his true nature. Too many will simple refuse to see the truth as they did when the Dark Lord returned. Right now, we can use the chaos of the war to get rid of him and we can blame it on the Dark Lord. Then even those who would have remained blindly loyal to Dumbledore will join us, though we would have to be careful to keep them ignorant of our part in his death.”

            “And I have to be the one to kill them both. Just in case,” Harry said with a sigh. Suddenly, Harry blinked and tilted his head. Then he frowned and bit his lip.

            After a few minutes watching Harry struggle with whatever thought that had occurred to him, Severus asked, “What is it, Harry?”

            Harry bit his lip harder and then winced as he nearly drew blood. “Well…”

            “Harry,” Severus growled.

            Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I just had an idea of how we might take care of Dumbledore. Only, well, it’s…” Harry blinked again and then gave a small laugh and shook his head. “I forgot who I was with for a moment. The idea is actually rather Slytherin if I do say so myself.”

            “And what, exactly would this idea be, Harry?” Severus asked with a raised brow.

            “I just remember a comment Remus made after we found out about Dumbledore. About Lucius suggesting you poison him…?” Harry said.

            Both Severus’ and Lucius’ brows rose at that. “You are suggesting that he actually do so?” Lucius asked.

            “Well, he _is_ a Potions Master. I’m sure he knows of a poison that is slow, painful and undetectable. We already know we can get into, not only his office, but his private quarters as well. I thought of poisoning his lemon drops at first, but those might be more suspect as they are left in his office. But…” Harry’s eyes lit up as something else occurred to him. “But, that bottle of Firewhisky in his bedroom looked like he indulged often. Not to mention we watched and he did not check it at all.”

            The Slytherins in the room all looked at each other in surprise. That was quite a cunning plan. Harry gave them an impish grin before taking his glasses off and changing himself to his natural form. Once the change was complete he smirked and said, “I’ll have you know, the Sorting Hat’s first choice for me was Slytherin. And given who my father is, I rather think I would have made a good one.”

            Blaise, Victoria and Narcissa laughed at that. Lucius turned to his friend with a raise brow and Severus just stared at his son. Severus couldn’t believe Harry had once again casually referred to their relationship, and this time in front of others. Draco was trying not to be obvious about his drooling. Besides the thought of how embarrassed he would be if his father caught him, it had occurred to Draco that Harry might be hurt if he let it slip that he actually liked Harry’s natural form better.

            With a chuckle, Harry once again turned back to Harry ‘Potter’ rather than deal with ill-fitting clothes.

            As Harry slipped his glasses back on, Severus said, “Actually, I know of a very good poison to use. It would greatly weaken him as well as being extremely painful and slow acting. It also had the distinction of being one of very few that have no known antidote. The only problem is that it would actually be too slow acting to be of use.”

            Lucius frowned. “I don’t believe I am familiar with the poison you are referring to, Severus.”

            Severus shook his head. “No, you wouldn’t be. It is actually not what you might consider a true poison.” Severus gave a cold smile. “With any luck, Albus will not be familiar with it. From what I saw of his private lab, while he might freely use the darkest of arts, he is far from being a Potions Master.”

            “What do you mean it’s not a true poison?” Harry asked with a frown.

            “Part of being a Potions Master is not only knowing how to brew the most difficult of potions correctly, it is also knowing what happens when you don’t,” Severus said. “The ‘poison’ I have in mind is actually one of the results of brewing a certain, extremely difficult potion wrong. No one other than a Potions Master would probably even attempt the potion in the first place and the possibility of being infected with this ‘poison’ while attempting to recreate the incorrect process that produces it has kept it from being commonly used as a poison.

            “In fact the only mentions of it are in cautions in the instructions for brewing the potion and in a few rare books dealing with the histories of certain potions.” Severus frowned. “And possibly in texts detailing the histories of specific Potions Masters if one of the Potions Masters died from this poison.”

            Harry frowned at the older man. “And why would you even suggest it if one of the things keeping it from being commonly used as a poison is the possibility of infection while brewing it?”

            Severus calmly took a sip of the drink he had mostly forgotten during Harry’s revelation about Dumbledore and the prophecy and then said, “Because, I have had occasion to brew the potion that the poison is…derived from, if you will. In doing so, I discovered certain base properties of the poison that had never been written of to my rather extensive knowledge. For the challenge of it, I decided to attempt to create a…safer method of producing this poison.”

            “And you were of course successful,” Harry said nodding, completely missing the surprise the older members of their group gave him. “But in that case, why is it still not commonly used as a poison?”

            Severus raised a brow. “After the first war, even with Dumbledore telling others I was his spy, I was under a lot of suspicion for having taken the Dark Mark. It certainly would have been far from wise to have published my findings.”

            “Oh,” Harry said, nodding.

            “As interesting as this is, I do believe it is irrelevant. Did Severus not say that it would not work?” Victoria asked.

            “Actually,” Lucius said, “It might. Severus, you said it would weaken the old bastard. How much and how quickly?”

            Severus frowned as he considered. “I would have to be careful about the amount I used if I am to slip it into that bottle of Firewhisky. If it is noticeably fuller than he remembers it will draw his suspicion. With the maximum amount I might be able to add and if he were to drink the same amount as he did when Harry and I were in his bedroom…” Severus broke off, thinking it through.

            Finally, he said, “It would take two days to brew, it would be two weeks before the pain started, but it would begin to weaken him within an hour of ingesting it. If he were to ingest the maximum amount I calculated…I would say that in approximately a month he would be significantly weakened. However, as I said, the poison works quite slowly. There will actually be ebbs of the weakening effects, though the pain will be constant.”

            “Would you be able to judge when these ebbs would occur and how long they would last?” Lucius asked.

            “If I could know for certain how much he ingested, yes. But to do that I would have to watch him drink it,” Severus said.

            Harry suddenly seemed to catch on to what Lucius was trying to suggest, but he had an idea of his own to contribute. “Actually, that might work in our favor.” Everyone turned to him. “Well, it would only be natural for him to either go to Madam Pomfrey or to ask for you, right? What if, after calculating when the weakening effects would ease, you pretend to create an antidote and tell him it will take that long to take effect as far as the weakness goes but the pain maybe permanent or will last an indefinite amount of time depending on how long it takes him to call for you.

            “Then, when the weakness ebbs he will think he’s cured. But we will know when to expect the weakness to begin again and that’s when…” Harry stopped and looked at Lucius expectantly.

            Lucius smiled coldly. “That’s when we kill him.”

            Victoria shook her head. “Even if you manage to catch him just as he is weakened again, you saw what he is capable of. You won’t be able to just walk up to him and hit him with a Killing Curse.”

            “No,” Harry said slowly after a minute, “but if the weakness were to suddenly hit him in the middle of a battle we might have a fighting chance. Not too mention it might give us a chance to kill two birds with one stone as the saying goes.”

            “Battle?” Victoria asked with a raised brow.

            Harry nodded. “Earlier in the year Voldemort attacked Hogwarts. If we get him to attack just as Dumbledore should be weakening, we can kill him in the midst of the battle and blame his death on Voldemort as you suggested. We can also use the opportunity to get rid of some of Voldemort’s actual loyal followers. Even with those who have switched sides tonight, he still has quite a few followers.”

            The group was silent for a while, thinking over the idea and looking for flaws.

            “Will there be time?” Draco asked. “NEWTs are next week and then we only have a month left before the end of term. If we wait until after the end of term, there would be little incentive for the Dark Lord to attack. He would definitely want to attack when there are students present.”

            “If I start within the next day or so and give it to him as soon as I brew it, then yes. But I will need some ingredients that will be difficult to find,” Severus said.

            “I can speak to the Weasley twins. Between the three of us we managed to find the ingredients for removing the binding spell rather quickly,” Lucius said.

            Severus nodded. “I will give you a list. Actually,” Severus frowned, “if I am not mistaken, some of the ingredients that will be hardest to find, I already have. I took some ingredients from Albus’ private lab.”

            “Oh,” Harry said, frowning. “He’s going to know someone was in his lab!”

            Severus shook his head. “Possible, but unlikely. I left as little evidence of my presence as possible and it appeared that he does not use his lab all that often. Potions really isn’t his strong suit. No matter how old he may be, his focus has been on Dark Arts, not Potions.”

            “Still,” Harry said, frowning still, “I’m going with you just in case.” He blinked as several voices protested at once.

            “What?! You are not!” Draco said, looking at Harry like he had lost his mind.

            “Absolutely not!” Severus said fiercely.

            “Are you _crazy_?” asked Blaise.

            Narcissa looked worried, but Lucius and Victoria both had a brow raised.

            Harry just leaned back and looked at Severus as he said, “Well, unless you can figure out my spell between now and then, you won’t have a choice.”

            Severus glared. “I could refuse to make the poison.”

            Harry shook his head. “It’s the best chance we have and you know it. I’m going with you, just as I did last time.”

            After several minutes of Severus glaring and Harry just looking back at him calmly, Victoria broke the silence. “Well, he certainly is your son, Severus.”


	36. Reassurances

            Harry was sitting in what he had come to think of as _his_ chair in the corner of Snape’s office reading when the door to Snape’s private chambers opened and Narcissa walked into the office.

            “Oh, good. You’re still here,” Narcissa said. “Severus said you were here when he left, but I wasn’t sure if you would have left after he did.”

            Harry closed the book he had been reading and stood up. Lucius had firecalled and asked Snape to go with him to look over ingredients for the poison Snape was going to be making. Harry had thought the man sounded slightly panicked or maybe desperate. Given how good the man was at concealing such feelings, Harry would have said Lucius was extremely panicked or desperate when he called.

            “Narcissa,” Harry said. “Is everything alright?”

            “Lucius is being difficult, but otherwise things are fine,” Narcissa said. Harry hid a smile. Narcissa must have been working on plans for the wedding. That would certainly explain the panicky note in Lucius’ voice. “I wanted to discuss some things with you if you had a moment, Harry.”

            “Of course,” Harry said.

            Narcissa looked around the office, wrinkled her nose and turned and headed back into Snape’s private quarters. Harry followed her and sat down beside her on the sofa.

            “First, I’ve been meaning to ask, am I correct in assuming that you would like Lupin to stand across from me during the ceremony?” Narcissa asked as she opened a book of some kind on the coffee table.

            “Um, what?” Harry asked in confusion.

            Narcissa turned to him with a kind smile. “Well, Severus and Lucius, as the fathers, would be standing across from each other as you and Draco are bound. I had thought, from how close you two were, that you might want Lupin to be the one to stand across from me.”

            Harry still didn’t know exactly what Narcissa meant, but he could read between the lines. Apparently Narcissa realized how Harry felt about Remus and was asking if he wanted to have Remus stand in as one of his parents during his wedding. Harry gave her a bright smile and said, “Yes, I’d like that.”

            “Great,” Narcissa said. “Now, do you have any preferences on where you would like to live?” As she said this, Narcissa spread out a large parchment that, after a moment, Harry was able to recognize as floor plans for Malfoy Manor.

            Harry gaped at the woman. “What?”

            Narcissa looked up from studying the floor plans. “Well, obviously you and Draco will be living at the Manor! Draco is the Malfoy heir. As his husband, Malfoy Manor would become your home too. Not to mention that the children should grow up running through the halls and exploring the gardens! My grandchildren must grow up thinking of the Manor as their home! I’ll not have them feel like they are living in a strange place when you and Draco take over the Manor after Lucius and I pass.”

            Narcissa frowned at Harry and said, “And we expect plenty of grandchildren.” Then she smiled, a little sadly Harry thought. “Lucius and I had always planned on having a large family.”

            “Oh? Why didn’t you have more children after Draco?” Harry asked, frowning.

            Narcissa looked down at the floor plans once more. “I was…cursed. Due to the nature of the curse, Lucius and I thought that if the person responsible was dead that the curse would fade, but when the Dark Lord died we still were unable to have any more children.”

            Harry looked at her for a moment. “Well, perhaps once he dies for good, you can.”

            Narcissa looked up. “Oh, Harry, I’m much too old to have children now!”

            Harry blinked and looked the witch over. She still looked quite young, not to mention that as a witch she would live far longer than any muggle. “Narcissa, you are nowhere near too old to have kids,” Harry said with a frown.

            “Harry if I were to have children now, I could end up with grandchildren older than some of my children,” Narcissa said.  
            Harry rolled his eyes. “So? It’s not like you won’t love them. And I’m sure that you and Lucius are more than up to the task of raising more children.”

            “Perhaps,” Narcissa said quietly, smoothing a hand over the floor plans.

            Harry tilted his head and frowned at her. Then he realized that, after being disappointed before, she couldn’t stand to get her hopes up again.

            She cleared her throat daintily. “In any case, Harry, Draco can’t stay in his childhood room after he gets married and I would suggest moving to another wing from Lucius and me entirely. The Manor is large and that would give you and Draco some much needed space. I know Draco is fond of the gardens. Would you perhaps consider the East wing? The master bedroom in the East wing overlooks the gardens on one side and the lake on the other.”

            “The master bedroom?” Harry asked, confused.

            “There is a master bedroom in each wing. The Manor was built just so that the heir and his family could have plenty of room and some space from the current head of the family. Lucius’ parents were living in the Southwest wing when we married and we chose the Northwest wing for our own,” Narcissa explained. “So, do you have any preference?”

            Harry looked down at the floor plans. “Um, anywhere Draco wants to live is fine with me. He knows the Manor far better than I do.”

            “Well, I suppose this is a decision that the two of you should make together. It’s just that the last time I asked Draco when the three of us could sit down to discuss it, he ran off,” Narcissa said with a slight pout.

            Harry frowned. “He ran off? Why?”

            “Well, I had asked him if the two of you would want the nursery next door to your bedroom, across the hall or down the hall. Some people hire nannies to tend to their children at night.” Narcissa frowned. “Though I would hope I had raised my son better than that.”

            Harry nodded. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want some stranger coming in and taking care of my children.”

            Narcissa turned and beamed at him. “Oh? So you’ve thought of children?”

            Harry blushed. “Well, yeah. I mean, I’ve always wanted a family of my own, even before Draco and I got together.”

            Narcissa nodded, still smiling brightly, and folded up the floor plans and shut the book she brought with her. “Well, I should get back to the Manor and work on the seating arrangements. Will you make sure to let Remus know about your decision? And tell him to get in touch with me. We have so much to do!”

            Harry watched in bemusement as the petite blond witch headed for the room with the fireplace. “Narcissa?” he called after her.

            She turned back. “Yes, Harry?”

            He smiled at her. “You could have just asked if I wanted kids.” Narcissa only smiled before turning and leaving.

************************************

            “Draco, is there a reason your mother would think I don’t want children?” Harry asked as he sat down beside the blond. Harry, Draco, Blaise and Neville had agreed to meet up and eat lunch outside, picnic style, while reviewing some of their notes. Harry was the last to arrive.

            Draco started coughing and pumpkin juice sprayed everywhere. Blaise reached over and pounded the spluttering blond on the back. When Draco stopped coughing, Blaise stood and said, “Neville, how about a short study break? We can take a little walk and stretch our legs.”

            Neville smiled at Harry and Draco and walked off, hand in hand with Blaise. Harry turned back to Draco.

            Draco wiped the tears off his face and hoped Harry thought his face was red from coughing. “What?”

            “Why does your mother think I don’t want children?” Harry asked again.

            Draco flushed again and pulled out a handkerchief and started dabbing at the pumpkin juice.

            “Draco?” Harry asked again when the blond said nothing.

            Draco sighed and said quietly, “We never really talked about having kids, Harry. I mean, for us to have kids one of us would…” Draco trailed off and continued to dab at the spots of pumpkin juice.

            “One of us would have to get pregnant. Is that really a problem? Do you not want…?” Harry asked hesitantly.

            Draco looked up at Harry, wide-eyed. “Of course I want kids!”

            Harry frowned. “But only with a woman? Is that it?”

            Draco looked at Harry in horror. “What? No!”

            “Then what is going on, Draco?” Harry asked quietly.

            Draco sighed again and said, “A couple of years ago I was in the library and I heard Granger’s voice. I went in that direction thinking…” Draco flushed again and rushed on. “I overheard her talking with Weasel. I guess she had just found out about wizards being able to have children. Get pregnant, I mean.” Draco murmured a quick cleaning charm on his handkerchief and then twisted the cloth in his hands.

            “Granger said that it was disgusting,” Draco continued quietly. “She said no muggleborn or even halfblood would ever do such a thing. They would think it was disgusting too. Most muggles wouldn’t even tolerate two men being a couple.”

            “Draco, obviously I don’t feel that way,” Harry said with a small frown. “You know that. I mean, how could I have a problem with that kind of thing if I’m with you?”

            Draco kept his eyes on the handkerchief he was twisting around his hand. “Well, I know you were raised by muggles and then the way you dated Chang and Weaslette…”

            “And you thought…what? That even though I’m with you, that I would think the same things Hermione does?” Harry asked, still confused. He shook his head. “Draco, I’ve always wanted kids. And now…” Harry gave Draco a shy smile. “Now, I want kids with you.”

            Draco flushed, but he returned Harry smile. After a moment of smiling, Harry said, “So you told your mother…?”

            Draco cleared his throat and put his handkerchief back in his pocket. “Mother was asking me about where we wanted to live and where we wanted the nursery…to…be…” Draco flushed again.

            Harry smiled. “Yeah, she talked to me last night. She was saying she thought we would want to live in the East wing at Malfoy Manor. It overlooks the gardens?” Draco nodded. “That’s fine with me, but I want the nursery next door to our bedroom,” Harry said firmly.

            Draco gaped and then blushed, brighter than before. “Okay.”

            Harry smiled at Draco again and leaned over to kiss him. However, before their lips could touch, they heard grumbling. They turned to see Blaise and Neville coming back towards them. Neville was blushing and looking guilty, which Harry might have teased him over except that Blaise looked furious.

            “What’s wrong?” Harry asked.

            “Bloody Hufflepuff!” Blaise snapped, flopping down on the ground next to Neville. As soon as he was seated next to his boyfriend, Blaise put his arm around his shoulders possessively and glared at the trees over his shoulder where he and Neville had just come from.

            “Hufflepuff?” Harry asked. His brows rose as Neville flushed and looked down at his hands.

            “Blaise, she just-” Neville said, embarrassment clear in his voice.

            “She just needs to keep her hands off of my boyfriend!” Blaise said.

            “What happened?” Draco asked, looking intrigued.

            “Blaise and I were, um,” Neville blushed, “standing just in the tree-line when we heard someone coming. I heard Hannah Abbott calling my name so I stepped from the trees, but Blaise stayed out of sight. Then she-” Neville cut off as Blaise growled.

            “She threw her grubby little arms around _my_ Neville and started gushing about how she had been in love with him for years and he is so sweet and she just _had_ to tell him how she felt before we graduated and _then_ , and _then_ she tried to _kiss him_!” Blaise said. He squeezed Neville and growled again.

            Neville wrapped his arms around Blaise and hugged him tightly. Then he sighed. “I was trying to get Hannah to let me go and I was trying to tell her that I liked someone else, but I didn’t have a chance. When she tried to kiss me, Blaise stepped around the tree and hexed her. Just as he hexed her again, Professor Sprout showed up and caught him. He has detention with her tonight and tomorrow night.”

            “Oh,” Harry said, ominously.

            “What?” Draco and Neville said together.

            Harry bit his lip. “I was hoping Blaise would be able to keep Draco distracted tomorrow night,” he said hesitantly.

            The other three looked confused, but Blaise and Draco quickly realized what Harry was trying to say.

            “You are going tomorrow night?” Draco asked in a worried voice.

            Harry just nodded his head. Neville looked at him worriedly as he realized what Harry had meant, while Blaise said, “I still can’t believe you talked Professor Snape into letting you go not once, but _twice_.”

            “Especially after what you found out the last time you went to the Headmaster’s quarters,” Neville said quietly.

            Seeing Draco looked even more worried at that, Harry put his arm around Draco’s waist. “Actually, it won’t be so bad this time. We know the layout; we’re familiar with the wards. We’ll obviously take our time with the wards to make sure that they haven’t been changed or any new ones added, but as long as we get in before he shows, we will be fine. And really, we all know that man is meticulous in his planning. He’ll check everything several times. It’ll be fine.”

************************************

            The next night actually went as smoothly as Harry had said it would. He was almost disappointed. After the discoveries of their last trip, this trip was rather uneventful. He met Snape in his office as he had on the previous trip and they headed straight up to the Headmaster’s office.

            They took twice as long as necessary on the wards on the door between office and private quarters, making certain they weren’t going to be detected and that there were no traps added after their last visit.

            Once inside, they headed straight for the desk in the bedroom. They were in luck; the Headmaster had placed the bottle of Firewhisky in a different drawer from the one he placed Grindelwald’s portrait in. The portrait might be willing to keep quiet about their visit, but they were grateful they didn’t have to take the chance.

            Harry held his breath as Severus carefully added the poison he had made. Once the poison had been added, Severus place the bottle back exactly as they found it. While they waited for the Headmaster to return for the night, Severus poured Firewhisky from the full bottle they had brought with them into the empty bottle they had brought, until one bottle held the same amount as the bottle in Dumbledore’s desk.

            They couldn’t take the risk that Dumbledore would continue to drink from the poisoned bottle. It would throw off their estimations of when to expect the weakness to come and go, and without an accurate estimation their plans would not work.

            Once they had the bottle ready for the switch, they moved to one corner of the room and waited. They waited for nearly two hours, but they had been prepared for the wait. They had certainly not wanted to cut it as close as they had last time.

            This time when the Headmaster sat at his desk and talked with the portrait of his former lover, he revealed no more misdeeds. He repeated much of the conversation they had overheard on their previous visit, making Harry nauseous, but they learned nothing new.

            Harry tensed each time the man took a sip of Firewhisky and Severus kept careful measure of just how much the man had drunk. Much like an expert cook, the Potions Master had the ability to judge measurements rather accurately by sight alone and Severus was confident in his ability to determine how much of the poison the old man ingested.

            This time, when the old man laid down in bed, while waiting for him to fall asleep Severus removed from the bottle of Firewhisky he was switching the poisoned bottle for the same amount of Firewhisky the Headmaster had drank that night.  When they were certain he was sleeping, Severus switched the bottles and they left.

            Harry breathed a sigh of relief as they reached the dungeons. Severus gave no sign of his relief, but Harry saw the slight relaxation of his shoulders as his office door came in sight.

            It was when the office door was opened that they were surprised.

            “Calm down, Neville,” Draco said. “It was only a _Pertrificus Totalus_. She will be fine.”

            “Yes, but what are we going to do with her? Do you know how to _Obliviate_ someone?” Neville asked worriedly.

            As Severus and Harry walked into the room, they saw the two looking down at the frozen form of Professor McGonagall. Severus merely sighed and warded his door behind them. As he did so, Harry finally dropped his invisibility spell.

            “What is going on here?” he demanded.

            Draco and Neville spun around at the sound of his voice. Neville looked nervous, but Draco rushed over to Harry, looking relieved.

            “You’re back!” Draco said, sounding as relieved as he looked. He pulled Harry into a tight hug.

            “Draco, what have you done?” Severus demanded.

            “Well, since Blaise has detention, I thought I would keep him company,” Neville said, speaking up. “We decided to wait in here for you two to get back, but then Professor McGonagall walked in and…” He waved his arms at the frozen woman on the floor.

            “I think she overheard us talking,” Draco said to his godfather.

            Severus sighed again and walked over to remove the spell from his coworker. When she had picked herself up off the floor, she merely sighed herself and said, “Severus, dare I ask what is going on now?”

            Severus merely looked at the woman impassively for a long moment. She was much too Gryffindor to care for the thought of poisoning someone, but she had also supported Dumbledore’s ‘for the greater good’ mentality enough that perhaps she could appreciate the necessity of it.

            “Professor McGonagall, have you decided on some people you think we can trust?” Harry asked. He wasn’t certain either whether telling the stern witch was a good idea.

            “Actually, yes. I had come down here to talk to Severus,” she said, frowning at Harry. Harry just looked back at her until she glanced at the other two students in the room.

            Severus sat down behind his desk and picked up his notes on the Wolfsbane potion while waiting for the witch to continue talking. Harry rolled his eyes and turned to his friend and boyfriend. “Now that you know I’m fine, you two should probably go back to your dorms,” Harry said. He kissed Draco on the tip of his nose and said quietly, “I’ll see you in a little while.”

            Draco pouted, but he and Neville left. Harry turned back to his professor to find her staring at him.

            “Mr. Potter, did you just kiss Draco Malfoy?” she asked faintly. “And was I not mistaken then in thinking I heard Mr. Longbottom mention a wedding between you and Mr. Malfoy?”

            Harry just grinned. “One thing at a time, Professor. So, you have an idea of some people we can trust from among the Order?”

            McGonagall sighed and sat down in one of the chairs in front of Severus’ desk. Severus reluctantly put down the notes he was reading over and the conversation turned to planning a meeting similar to the one they had planned with the Death Eaters.

***********************************

            Draco rolled over onto his back and glared up at the canopy above his bed. He had gotten used to falling asleep with Harry lying next to him and he was having trouble getting to sleep without him. _What was taking him so long?_ Draco thought with a pout.

            Suddenly, the curtains on his bed were pulled aside and Harry climbed into bed with him. “Draco? You are still awake?”

            Draco rolled to his side and pulled Harry close. “Yes,” he said, still pouting.

            Harry gave a little laugh and settled more comfortably on the bed. “Well, we have arranged a meeting with some of the Headmaster’s allies after NEWTs,” Harry said with a yawn. “With any luck, we will be getting them to switch sides as we did with the Death Eaters.”

            Draco just gave a little hum and settled closer to Harry. Now that Harry was in bed with him, he was drifting off. Harry gave another little laugh and then they were both asleep.


	37. Getting Closer

            The day before NEWTs began, most students were studying frantically trying to prepare for the next week of testing. Harry, Draco, Blaise and Neville, however, having been studying frantically for most of the term, decided to take one last study break.

            The Slytherins surprised their boyfriends by meeting them in the same place they had met on Valentine’s Day, each with a basket just as on their first dates. Harry was not altogether surprised then when Draco took his hand and started leading him along a familiar path.

            Most of the walk was silent and even when they spoke, they kept their voices low. There was an undercurrent that had them both hesitant to meet each other’s eyes. When they finally reached the clearing, Harry stopped with a gasp.

            The meadow was full of flowers, just as Draco had said on their first date. White, purple, pink, red, blue, and yellow flowers covered the meadow from one end to the other. It was beautiful. Harry turned to Draco with a smile and told him so.

            Draco just smiled back and led Harry through the field of flowers to the other side of the meadow where they had had their picnic on their first date. Once again, Draco spread out a large blanket and set the basket in the middle. They removed their shoes and sat on the blanket and Draco pulled out a much smaller feast that the one they had last time. It was just as good, however, as Harry noticed that Draco still included all of his favorites.

            This time as they talked and laughed quietly and enjoyed their meal, Harry and Draco took turns occasionally feeding each other little tidbits of food. The heat and passion built between them slowly, seen in a look or felt in the slightest touch. When it came time for desert, Harry stopped Draco from pulling out the sweets he had brought and instead, pulled the blond down on the blanket.

            As Harry lay on his side next to Draco, he slowly removed his glasses and then used the spell to change himself into his natural form. He looked at Draco hesitantly after he had done so.

            “Do you…do you mind?” Harry asked softly. Even now, Harry was not certain how Draco felt about him in his natural form. It was not a topic that came up when they talked.

            Draco could see the uncertainty in Harry’s eyes and decided to be completely honest. “No. Actually, I prefer you like this. I mean, I like you either way, but…There is just something about seeing you like this…” Draco broke off with a slight blush and gave a small shrug. “You’re still Harry, either way.”

            Harry frowned and looked down at the blanket under him. “And if I weren’t? Would you still like me, Draco?”

            “What do you mean?” Draco asked with a frown, rising up on his elbow.

            Harry looked up at Draco quickly before turning his eyes back to the blanket under him. “My mum left a birth certificate with a different name on it for me. I was just wondering…I mean, if I looked like this and I wasn’t ‘Harry Potter’ any more…”

            Draco leaned over until Harry looked up at him. “Harry, I’ve liked you since before I knew you were ‘Harry Potter.’” Draco blushed again. “I remember the first time I ever saw you. Normally I would never have spoken to you, especially,” Draco blushed brighter, “especially with your messy hair and those glasses. But you were so pretty and your eyes were the most beautiful I had ever seen.

            “My mother and I ran into Blaise and his mother after we left Madam Malkin’s. I’m sure Blaise was sick of hearing about the pretty boy I saw in Madam Malkin’s and hearing me talk about how I hoped he was in Slytherin with us,” Draco said, his face burning. “Since then…” Draco shrugged, “we’ve gotten to know one another quite well, even when we were fighting. Whether you’re ‘Harry Potter’ or someone else, whether you look like this or like you used to, it doesn’t matter to me. I still…” Draco trailed off, not able to say the words just yet.

            Harry smiled at Draco and leaned up and kissed him. “I love you too, Draco,” Harry said when he pulled back.

            Draco smiled at Harry and, to Harry’s surprise, turned and reached into the basket. Harry was further surprised when Draco turned back to him holding out a little white box, the same kind his ring, his necklace and all of his charms had come in.

            “What’s this?” Harry asked, sitting up and reaching out to take the box. “You’ve already given me a charm from our last date.” Harry opened the box and saw a little silver figure eight. He looked at Draco, puzzled.

            Draco sat up and reached over, as he had done with each of the charms, and lifted it out of the box. “It’s an infinity symbol.” He held it up and said, “I know we’ve been talking about and making plans for a wedding, but…” Draco took a deep breath. “But I haven’t actually asked you yet…Harry, would you marry me?”

            Harry stared at Draco for a moment before smiling. “Yes, Draco. I’d love to marry you.”

            Rather than adding the infinity symbol to the necklace as he had with the other charms, Draco turned the necklace around until he could reach the clasp. “It’s not really a charm, like the others. It’s actually the last part of the courting tradition,” Draco said as he did something Harry couldn’t see. When he pulled his hands away, Harry saw Draco holding the clasp of the necklace.

            “It’s symbolic,” Draco said, a little nervously. “Now that you’ve agree to marry me you are not supposed to be able to take the necklace off now.” But since he had made the necklace just long enough for Harry to slip over his head, Harry could still take the necklace off if he wanted to. Since he had no desire to, Harry didn’t really worry about it.

            Harry smiled at Draco and leaned over and kissed him. This time the kiss deepened and Draco moaned as Harry slipped his tongue into his mouth. Harry’s hands came up and pulled Draco closer. Draco leaned against Harry, but he couldn’t get close enough. He groaned in frustration and Harry pushed him down onto his back and leaned over him.

            Draco pushed his hands into Harry’s hair and Harry pulled away from the kiss and turned to nibble on Draco’s ears as he reached down, pushed aside Draco’s robes and began unbuttoning Draco’s shirt.

            Feeling Harry kiss down the side of his neck as his shirt was unbuttoned, Draco groaned and slid his hands down to attack the buttons on Harry’s shirt. Draco gasped as Harry’s lips reached his nipple. Draco writhed underneath Harry, trying to get out of his clothes, trying to get Harry’s shirt off and arching his back in pleasure all at the same time.

            Harry had had it all planned out. When he and Draco got to this point in their relationship, Harry was going to take it slow, make Draco crazy with need. But now that the moment was here, Harry was desperate to see and touch Draco’s skin. Thankfully, Draco seemed just as desperate to see and feel Harry. They fumbled and pushed and pulled, struggling to undress each other as they kissed and stroked and touched.

            They managed to remove each other’s robes and shirts and their hands caressed bare chests. Ending yet another kiss, Harry panted down at Draco and struggled to regain a little control. He trailed his gaze down over Draco’s body and groaned at the sight.

            Harry leaned back down and pressed his lips to Draco’s cheek, determined to go slow. He trailed kisses across Draco’s cheek to one of his sensitive ears, tracing the curve of the ear with his tongue before gently biting the earlobe. He groaned as Draco shivered under him and pressed a hot, opened mouth kiss just behind Draco’s ear and then kissed his way down Draco’s neck.

            Draco ran his hands through Harry’s hair and then smoothed them down his back as Harry tormented him with kisses. As Harry nipped and sucked on his neck, Draco wiggled under Harry and then reached around to caress Harry’s chest, lightly stroking his nipples. He smiled when he heard Harry’s breath catch and stroked them again before pinching lightly.

            Harry threw his head back and groaned when Draco pinched his nipples. Looking back down into Draco’s eyes, Harry shifted so that their lower bodies aligned and then he thrust his hips against Draco’s. Draco grabbed Harry’s hips and cried out in pleasure, tilting his head back and looking up at Harry desperately.

            As Harry leaned down to kiss him again, Draco smoothed his hands down Harry’s chest, down his stomach. He ran his fingertips over the trail of hair that began at Harry’s navel and disappeared into Harry’s pants. When Harry’s lips moved to his chest and his hands moved down Draco’s stomach, Draco fumbled to open Harry’s trousers.

            Harry’s hand slipped inside Draco’s pants and touched him where he was aching to be touched. Draco bucked up into Harry’s hand, lost in pleasure. After a few delicious strokes of Harry’s hand, Draco regained his senses enough to push Harry’s pants and boxer-briefs down.

            Harry kicked them off his legs and then pulled Draco’s from his body. As soon as they were both naked, Harry settled back against Draco’s body, their hard cocks trapped between them. Their hands roamed each other’s body as they kissed and moved their hips against each other.

            Then Harry reached down and held Draco’s hips still and pulled away from the kiss. He started kissing down Draco’s chest. Draco pushed his hands into Harry’s hair again, loving the feel of the straight hair sliding through his fingers. He gasped and pushed against Harry’s hands on his hips when Harry licked, sucked and bit at his nipples.

            “Harry!” Draco cried out breathlessly.

            Harry gave a little hum and started licking and kissing his way down Draco’s stomach. Draco was already panting, but he felt his heart speed up as he watched Harry with wide eyes as Harry moved lower and lower. He thought he would explode when Harry looked up at him as he stroked Draco’s cock slowly before reaching out with his tongue and licking a drop of precome from the tip.

            Draco moaned and his hands tightened in Harry’s hair. “Wait, wait!” he panted out. He took a moment to pull himself back from the edge. He did _not_ want this to be over so soon. As soon as he could move without fear of exploding, he desperately felt around on the blanket next to the basket. His hand finally closed around the little jar he had stealthily gotten out when he had gotten the white box earlier and he looked back down at Harry, whose hand was still around Draco’s cock.

            Harry smiled slightly when Draco handed him the little jar. He set it down next to Draco’s hip and went back to tasting the blond. Draco groaned and his eyes rolled up into the back of his head when Harry licked up the underside of his cock and then stroked the flat of his tongue across the tip, licking up more precome.

            Harry took his time exploring, becoming familiar with Draco’s cock. Finally, Harry paused for a moment, waiting until Draco looked down at him before he took the hard cock into his mouth. He took as much into his mouth as he could, being careful not to gag, and used his hand to stroke what wouldn’t fit into his mouth. He sucked lightly as he pulled up and Draco gasped.

            As Harry’s hot mouth continued to move over his aching cock, Draco writhed and squirmed under Harry. Draco moaned and spread his legs wider as he felt one of Harry’s hands begin to stroke and lightly, very, very lightly squeeze his balls. Harry winced when Draco’s hands tightened in his hair as Harry stroked one finger behind his balls, using the lightest of touches as he moved his finger over Draco’s entrance.

            Draco felt Harry winced and forced his hands to relax a bit. “Sorry,” he gasped out, surprised he managed the word given that it felt like his brain had melted under Harry’s sensual assault.

            Harry tried to take things slowly, trying to give Draco pleasure without pushing him over the edge. Feeling Draco started to press back against his fingers, Harry lifted his mouth from Draco’s cock, hearing Draco give a disappointed moan. He quickly opened the jar of lubricant and dipped two of his fingers in the slick substance.

            Harry kissed and licked Draco’s cock, little teasing touches that drew moan after moan from the blond under him. As Harry teased Draco, he reached back and rubbed his slick fingers against Draco’s entrance. After a moment, Harry started to ease one finger inside.

            Draco whimpered and pushed back against the finger. He shivered in pleasure and moaned when Harry began moving it in and out slowly. Draco was long since beyond desperate and he felt only pleasure as Harry eased a second finger into him alongside the first.

            “Harry, please!” Draco moaned.

            Harry looked up at Draco. The blond was beautiful, flushed and sweaty, with his hard cock standing straight up from the white-blond curls at its base. Harry’s neglected erection throbbed and he pressed a kiss to the tip of Draco’s cock as he tried to decide what he wanted more: to finish Draco off with his mouth or to be inside the blond when he came.

            In the end, it was the fact that it was their first time that decided the matter for Harry. Besides, he could always use his mouth on Draco again later. From the look on his face, he wouldn’t deny Harry that chance.

            Decision made, Harry kept his mouth and hands off the delicious cock in front of him. He focused on slowly moving his fingers inside Draco, waiting and watching Draco’s face as he added a third finger. Seeing a slight grimace come to Draco’s face, Harry twisted his fingers and searched for that spot Remus had told him about. A moment later he heard Draco gasp.

            As Draco relaxed and started pushing back against his fingers again, Harry pressed little kisses to the inside of Draco’s thighs, unable to keep his mouth off of him.

            Finally, Draco broke. He absolutely could not take another moment of the delicious torment. “Harry! Please! I need-I need-!” Draco called out.

            Harry bit his lip as he pulled his fingers from Draco. He quickly lubed up his cock and then pressed the tip to Draco’s entrance. He paused for a second to take a deep breath and get himself under control. Touching Draco, hearing the sounds he made…Harry hadn’t touched himself at all and he was still right there on the edge with Draco.

            Draco brought his legs up around Harry’s hips and pulled, pushing Harry’s cock inside him and causing them both to gasp. Getting the hint, Harry pushed just a little more, so that the head of his cock was inside Draco. He held still for a moment, trying to hold onto his fraying control and to give Draco a chance to adjust.

            As Harry began to move, he pushed slowly inside Draco, groaning at the feel of the tight, hot hole. Harry pulled back and then pushed in deeper, moving slowly and drawing moans from Draco. Finally, finally, finally he was all the way in.

            Draco panted at the feeling of having Harry inside him. It was incredible! And when Harry leaned down to kiss him, Draco felt himself tighten around Harry’s cock, causing Harry to moan into his mouth.

            Harry began to thrust in and out, slowly at first, but Draco was too on edge to settle for that for very long. They moved together, quickly settling into a hard, fast rhythm. Harry’s hands gripped Draco’s hips tightly, while Draco’s legs tightened around Harry’s waist and his hands gripped Harry’s shoulders. Their tongues tangled in a messy kiss as Draco arched his back in pleasure.

            Harry slid one hand up from Draco’s hip, caressing across Draco’s stomach and heading for the hard cock between them. Just feeling Harry’s hand sliding across his stomach was enough to push Draco over the edge. He came between them before Harry could wrap his hand around his cock.

            Harry had been desperately trying to hold on for Draco’s sake, the feel of Draco’s body more incredible than anything he had ever known. Feeling Draco’s tight body tighten even further as he came was more than Harry could resist.

            Harry jerked as if he had been struck by lightning, thrusting erratically into Draco as he came, his hand finally wrapping around Draco’s cock and stroking him, drawing out his orgasm along with Harry’s.

            Finally, Harry collapsed on Draco, both of them panting and struggling to catch their breath. Draco felt like his bones had melted and the weight of Harry on top of him made it even harder to breathe, but he was disappointed when Harry gently pulled out and moved to his side.

            Draco rolled over and pressed against Harry’s side, grimacing lightly at the soreness he felt. He rested his head on Harry’s shoulder and sighed when Harry’s arm came around his waist and softly stroked along his side.

            When Harry had caught his breath, he felt around on the blanket and found his wand, performing several cleaning charms until he, Draco and the blanket were clean. Harry was feeling drowsy and he could tell from Draco’s breathing that the blond was already asleep. With the sun on his face and Draco’s head on his shoulder, Harry drifted off to sleep.

            Harry wasn’t sure how long he slept, but he woke when he felt Draco sit up beside him. Opening his eyes and looking up at the blond, Harry was surprised to find a light blush on Draco’s face. Harry rose up on his elbows and looked over at Draco, who refused to meet his eyes and who was tugging his robe across the blanket to cover himself with.

            “Draco?” Harry asked.

            “I woke up feeling a little hungry and I remembered we hadn’t gotten to desert yet, so…” Draco said.

            Harry grinned and pulled the robe out of Draco’s hands and away from his body. He continued grinning when Draco looked over at him, wide-eyed. “I don’t know. I thought you tasted quite delicious.” Harry leaned over and kissed Draco on his hip.

            Draco blushed brightly. Harry watched it spread from his cheeks, down his chest, down his stomach right towards the part of him Harry was definitely looking forward to tasting again.

            Seeing the hungry look that came to Harry’s eyes, Draco said, “Harry, I want chocolate!”

            Harry brought his gaze back up to Draco’s face and smiled. “Okay, okay.” He sat up beside the blond. He looked up at the sky and saw that he and Draco had slept for a couple of hours.

            Harry pulled Draco’s robe out of his hands twice more as the blond enjoyed his chocolate, Draco blushing each time he noticed Harry looking at him with lust in his eyes. Harry’s body reacted to the moans Draco gave as he ate his chocolate and he couldn’t wait to pounce on his lover again.

            In an effort distract Harry, Draco shoved a Sugar Quill at him. As Harry distractedly ate the candy as he always did, licking and sucking on the hardened sugar candy, Draco’s moans became less about the chocolate and more about the thought of Harry’s mouth on him. Seeing Harry’s cock harden, Draco couldn’t stop his body from responding.

            Seeing Draco lick his lips while looking at his cock, Harry decided he had waited long enough. He leaned over and kissed Draco and pushed him down on his back. Draco moaned into the kiss as he felt Harry’s hand wrap around his cock and start slowly pumping. He thrust his hips up into Harry’s touch.

            Draco wanted to reach down and wrap his hand around Harry’s. Harry’s touch was too light, teasing him. But Draco wanted to touch Harry even more. He moved his hands up and down Harry’s back, enjoying the feel of the sun warmed skin under his palms.

            Draco moved his hands up to Harry’s hair as Harry moved between his legs and started kissing his way down Draco’s body. Draco moaned and arched his back, remembering the feel of Harry’s mouth wrapped around him. And then Harry’s mouth was there and it was even better than he remembered.

            Harry took his time, exploring as if it were the first time he had gotten to touch Draco like this. He licked a line up the underside of Draco’s cock, stopping to suck gently on that spot just under the head of his cock. Harry smiled when Draco cried out in pleasure. Harry licked his way back down, not stopping as he reached the blond curls. This time Draco cried out in shock as well as pleasure as Harry took one of his balls into his mouth and caressed it with his tongue. Harry ignored the painful way Draco’s hands tightened in his hair and moved over to give the other the same treatment.

            Harry moved his mouth back up and he sucked lightly on the head of Draco’s cock. Harry hummed when Draco thrust up into his mouth and then he took Draco’s cock as deep into his mouth as he could, sucking as he pulled his head back. Harry bobbed his head up and down on Draco’s cock, sucking a little harder with each bob of his head.

            Harry wrapped one hand around the base of Draco’s shaft and stroked in the same rhythm as his mouth. The other hand reached down and fondled Draco’s balls. Harry felt the cock in his mouth throb and then Draco was panting, “Harry! Harry, I’m going to-to-!” Draco broke off with a groan as he filled Harry’s mouth with his come.

            Harry swallowed each spurt of come, a little trickling out of the corner of his mouth. Harry let Draco’s softened prick slip from his lips and he licked at the corner of his mouth, catching the come with his tongue.

            Draco opened his eyes after his second mind-blowing orgasm of the day to see Harry leaning over him. Draco tasted himself on Harry’s tongue as he kissed him.

            As Harry kissed Draco, he reached down between them and wrapped his hand around his own aching prick and started stroking. He moaned into the kiss when Draco’s hand pushed his out of the way and then Harry was thrusting into Draco’s hand, groaning as his body tensed and he came across Draco’s stomach and chest.

            Harry rested his forehead against Draco’s shoulder as he tried to catch his breath. Draco shivered underneath Harry, enjoying the feel of Harry’s breath feathering across his chest even if he wasn’t up to doing anything about it at the moment.

            “I didn’t get to taste you,” Draco pouted.

            Harry gave a tired laugh and pulled back. “Well, next time, I’m all yours.”

            “Promise?” Draco asked with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

            “Promise,” Harry said. He closed his eyes as Draco reached up to run a hand through his hair. He was glad Draco loved playing with his hair, because he loved the feel of Draco’s hand running through his hair. His eyes popped open when he heard Draco gasp. “Draco?”

            “Harry, your scar-!” Draco said, stunned.

            Harry moved off the blond and reached up, feeling for the familiar shape of the lightning bolt scar. He blinked in surprise when all he felt was smooth skin. “It’s gone,” Harry said, just as stunned as Draco.

            “But I don’t understand,” Draco said, sitting up next to Harry. “It was there this morning! I saw it when you were putting your tie on.”

            Harry frowned and continued rubbing the smooth skin. After a moment, he said, “I’ll have to talk to Snape about this. But it will have to wait until after NEWTs. He’s busy tonight and I won’t have time to ask him until I’ve finished my NEWTs.” Harry shook his head and pushed the problem aside. He leaned over and kissed Draco. “It’ll be fine.”

            Draco hummed against Harry’s lips and then pushed his tongue into Harry’s mouth. Harry pulled back with a smile.

            “Come on, Draco. We have to get back,” Harry said.

            Draco pouted, but waved his wand performing a few cleaning charms and then pulling on his clothes. Harry changed back to his ‘Potter’ form before trying to put his clothes back on. He had just slipped his glasses back on when Draco reached over and pushed his hair off of his forehead.

            “It’s back!” Draco said with a frown.

            Harry reached up and this time he felt the slightly raised skin of the scar. He frowned. “Well, that’s a relief. I’ll still talk to Snape about this, but at least I don’t have to worry about anyone noticing.”

            Harry kissed Draco one more time before they folded up the blanket and put it in the basket. Harry looked out over the field of flowers and smiled. It really was beautiful here. Today officially took place as his best memory ever.

            Draco and Harry walked back to Hogwarts holding hands. Harry noticed Draco wincing every so often and started to say something, until he had a thought. With a slight smile, Harry dug into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a vial and held it out to Draco. Draco took it with a frown.

            “It’s a pain relieving potion,” Harry said with a little smile.

            Draco flushed, but took the potion.

            When they reached the place where they had parted ways with Blaise and Neville, Harry was amused to see the other couple standing there with their arms wrapped around each other and their lips locked together.

            “I guess we weren’t the only ones to have a good day,” Harry said with a smile. His smile widened as Neville blushed and Blaise just smirked at them. He gave a little chuckle when he noticed that, though Draco put on a haughty look, there was a slight blush staining the blond’s cheeks as well.

            The two couples headed back to Hogwarts to spend the rest of the day having one last review session.

***********************************

            Severus and Remus stepped into the same tower room that they had used on the previous occasion where they tried out a new formula for the Wolfsbane potion. Remus paced restlessly in front of the cage he would be entering shortly while Severus placed his notes and ink and quill on the desk.

            Remus grimaced as Severus indicated he should step into the cage. He was too focused on controlling his dislike for being caged to notice the way Severus’ eyes drifted over his body as he walked into the cage.

            Severus managed to take his eyes off the wolf long enough to lock the cage door. He then turned to Lupin and handed him a goblet full to the brim of a potion with mist-like tendrils drifting from it. He watched as Lupin took the goblet with a sigh and then quickly swallowed the potion.

            Severus turned and set the goblet on the desk. Last month Severus had given Lupin the old version of the potion as he worked on improving the formula for the Wolfsbane potion. In the intervening time since the first attempt at a new formula, Severus had thought quite a bit about what had happened that night. If it had not been a matter of professional pride, Severus had been tempted to give Lupin the same version as the last attempt.

            As the sun had already set, Severus turned to spell the chains on Lupin. Severus was almost certain this version of the potion was the correct one, but he would not be taking any chances. Just as Severus stepped up to the cage and raised his wand, the moon rose and Lupin dropped to the floor, writhing.

            Severus swore and rushed over to the cage. He wanted to go in and kneel at Lupin’s side, but he hesitated in case this was Lupin transforming. He settled for trying to talk to Lupin.

            “Lupin? Are you transforming? Are you in pain?” Severus demanded.

            “No,” Remus gasped. He was not entirely certain what was happening to him, but he knew he was not transforming. “Not changing.” He moaned in pain. Strangely enough, the pain seemed almost without a physical source. He could not identify where he hurt in his body. He only knew he _hurt_.

            Pain was not the only sensation he felt, but the pain clouded his mind too much for him to make sense of what else was happening to him. It seemed like his body was too small, too tight. He could hardly breathe. His mind, his _soul_ felt like it was stretching, _melting_.

            Remus was unaware that he was tearing at his clothes as he struggled for air or that he was nearly continuously moaning, “Severus…Severus!”

            Severus swore again, but he still could not risk going in there. Not until he could be certain that Lupin was not going to transform. If he did, Lupin could kill him and then there would be a raging werewolf loose in the halls of the school.

            Finally, to both men’s relief, Remus stilled. The pain drained away, leaving his mind clearer than before and leaving him able to finally realize what had been happening to him. Remus and his wolf had merged.

            Before taking the first new formula two months ago, Remus never really felt his wolf except as a shadow at the back of his mind. During the transformation on the nights of the full moon, that shadow leapt forward and took over his mind as his human side was overwhelmed by the pain.

            Remus could use his heightened senses to a certain degree and sometimes the wolf’s instincts would suddenly scream at him from that shadowed place in the back of his mind, but otherwise it was almost like they were two entirely separate entities that inhabited the same body. Even when he had taken Severus’ original Wolfsbane potion, after the pain of transforming eased, the wolf was shoved back into that shadowed corner of his mind.

            Now, however, it felt like he and the wolf were one in the same. It was as if the wolf was merely another _side_ of himself, one he could connect with, communicate with and understand just as surely as he could with the part of himself he thought of as Professor Lupin or the part of himself he thought of as Harry’s Remy.

            And this connection, this sudden understanding of the wolf flooded Remus’ mind with all kinds of revelations. The reason for the werewolves’ ‘Moon Madness’ was because, except for the night of the full moon, it was like the wolf was locked up in a small, dark cage. As any being, but especially one meant to run and hunt, it resented being locked away and was understandably angry over this treatment. Not to mention the pain of sensory deprivation caused it to lash out.

            Remus’ mind was just reaching other, extraordinary realizations when he felt hands grab his shoulders and shake him. He forced his eyes to focus and he looked up into the glaring face of Severus Snape. Remus flattered himself that he saw a glimmer of concern in those dark eyes.

            Severus shook the wolf again and said roughly, “Damn it, Lupin! Answer me!”

            Remus jerked on one of Severus’ wrists, pulling the man off balance and on top of him. As Severus landed on him, he wrapped his arms around him and nuzzled the man’s neck.

            “Lupin, what are you doing?” Severus asked, voice rough for an entirely different reason.

            Remus held onto Severus for several long minutes, just basking in the man’s scent, even more potent now that Remus senses were heightened even more by the merging with his wolf. Sensing Severus’ growing impatience, Remus reluctantly pulled back and said, in a voice filled with awe, “It worked, Severus. I really think it worked.”

            Severus stood and looked down at Lupin with a brow raised. Professional curiosity overrode his attraction to the man still sitting at his feet. “You mean you are cured? You no longer feel the wolf at all?”

            Remus shook his head and stood. “No. It’s not like that. I feel the wolf even more than ever before.”

            Severus scowled and asked, “Then why would you say it worked?”

            “Because I understand and that understanding has given me more control than I have ever had before,” Remus said, still in awe of the sensation.

            Severus turned and sat at the desk and picked up his quill. “Let us begin at the beginning, Lupin. Can you describe what happened to you after drinking the potion?”

            Remus walked over and transformed a small, worn side table into a chair. They talked until the moon set and the sun rose. Remus answered question after question, telling Severus everything. Everything, that is, except for a few important revelations that had come with merging with his wolf. He would tell Severus about those when the time was right, if it ever was.

            When they noticed the sunlight streaming into the room through the high windows, Severus hurriedly put his notes and ink and quill away and they rushed to get ready for the day. Fortunately, with this being the first day of the week of NEWTs testing, they would each have extra free time to make use of.

            As Severus hurried from the tower and watched Lupin leave with a happy little bounce in his step, he suddenly came to a decision. He had come to terms with this attraction he had for the other man. They were both single men. There was nothing to stop him from having what he wanted.

*********************************

            At about the same time as Remus was drinking the latest version of the Wolfsbane potion, Harry was crawling into bed with Draco. Given that NEWTs began the next day, nearly ever seventh year student was going to bed early. The other boys in Draco’s dorm room were not used to seeing Harry coming in and getting in bed with Draco, but they were used to seeing him get out of Draco’s bed in the morning, so they thought nothing of it.

            However, as Harry and Draco lay in bed, neither of them were all that tired yet. Draco snuggled up to Harry as he did every night, resting his head on Harry’s shoulder. Harry had his arm around Draco, slowly stroking up and down the blond’s back.

            Draco swallowed as he found the normally soothing touch to be anything but. He kept his eyes closed and tried to focus on relaxing, but he found his mind drifting back to that afternoon. Even after taking the pain relieving potion, Draco was still a little sore. Not enough that he didn’t think he wouldn’t enjoy another round, but then he remembered what Harry had said. Next time was his turn.

            Harry heard Draco’s breathing speed up and he looked down at the blond. “Draco?” Harry asked, frowning lightly. Harry’s breath caught in his throat as Draco looked up at him. Sultry was the only way to describe that look and when Draco pressed his hard prick against Harry’s hip, Harry felt his heart beat faster. He licked his lips.

            Draco watched Harry’s tongue sweep out and wet his lips. He leaned up and captured those moist lips with his own, slipping his tongue into Harry’s mouth and delighting in the soft moan Harry gave. He pulled back when he felt Harry fumbling around for something on the headboard.

            Harry finally managed to grab his wand and put up a privacy charm. Draco grinned when he felt charm settle into place. He started to lean down and kiss Harry again, but then he hesitated. He whispered, “Would you…? I mean, would you mind…?”

            Harry looked at him in confusion for a moment and then gave a slight smile and changed himself to his natural form. The smile widened at the pleased look Draco gave him. Harry leaned over and kissed Draco. He pressed Draco onto his back on the bed, but pulled back when he felt the blond pushing at his shoulders.

            Harry frowned down at him, but before he could say anything, Draco said, “It’s my turn, remember?”

            Harry grinned and then rolled over onto his back. “All yours,” he said, holding out his arms.

            Draco sat up and looked down at Harry. In the dark, with only the barest of light seeping in around the bedcurtains, Harry looked even more different in his natural form compared to his usual ‘Potter’ look than he had that afternoon.

            Draco suddenly smirked and shoved the thick comforter down to the foot of the bed. He moved over to settle on his knees between Harry’s legs, running his hands up from Harry’s ankles to his hips. The sensual touch had Harry breathing quicker and squirming lightly. When Draco’s hands reached Harry’s hips, he took a hold of Harry’s sleep pants and then slowly pulled them down, along with his boxer-briefs, and tossing them into the floor.

            Draco repeated the caress on Harry’s bare legs, stroking his hands slowly up Harry’s legs from ankle to hips and then back down. He slid his hands back up, paused to teasingly stroke his fingertips across Harry’s stomach, up to his chest, stroking lightly over his nipples, and then dragging his hands back down, all the way down to Harry’s ankles.

            Harry moaned and started to reach for Draco. Draco pouted though and Harry lay back down with one brow raised. Draco rewarded Harry by leaning over him and giving him a deep lingering kiss. He let Harry bring his arms up around him, pushing one hand though his blond hair while the other stroked down his back. After a moment, though, Draco grabbed Harry’s wrists and gently pressed them to the bed beside Harry’s head.

            Harry raised a brow again, but left his hands where they were. Draco smirked again and kissed his way from Harry’s lips to his ear and then down his neck and across his shoulder. Then he leaned back and grinned at Harry again before moving down on the bed and slowly kissing his way up one of Harry’s legs. He kissed a line from ankle to knee and then stopped. Another smirk and then he kissed his way from Harry’s lips to Harry’s other ear and down the other side of his neck. Again, when he reached Harry’s shoulder, he stopped and moved down, kissing up from Harry’s ankle to his knee.

            Harry wriggled in frustration and Draco laughed. Suddenly, he kissed Harry deeply, passionately while his hands went to Harry’s nipples. Draco stroked Harry’s tongue with his own and pinched and tugged on Harry’s nipples. Harry moaned into the kiss and arched his back.

            Harry’s hands came up and pulled Draco down on top of him. He gasped into the kiss when Draco’s cloth-covered erection came into contact with his own hard, naked prick. Draco pulled back with a laugh.

            He looked down at Harry with yet another adorable smirk and said, “Am I going to have to tie your hands to the headboard, Harry?”

            “Draco,” Harry moaned softly.

            “Harry,” Draco whispered back teasingly. Suddenly, he leaned forward and placed a kiss right above Harry’s navel. He smiled against Harry’s skin when he felt and heard Harry inhale sharply. He place several little, light kisses in the same spot until he heard Harry moaned his name again. He looked up and saw Harry gripping the pillow under his head tightly with each hand.

            Draco smiled and then dipped his head down and used his tongue to trace the line of dark hair that started under Harry’s navel. Reaching the curls at the base of Harry’s cock, Draco moved his head down just a bit further and licked the tip of Harry’s cock, drawing a hiss of pleasure from Harry. He stroked Harry once, twice with his hand before he began to explore.

            Draco learned the shape and feel of Harry with his hands and his mouth, enjoying the moans and groans of pleasure that his actions produced. He remembered what he had liked when Harry was doing this to him and repeated the moves. He tried things he thought he might like done to him, paying attention to what made Harry squirm or moan or whimper.

            Draco settled his hand on Harry’s hip and stroked Harry’s cock with the other. He stilled his hand until Harry looked at him, making Harry watch as Harry had done to him. Harry bit his lip as he watched Draco’s mouth swallow his cock.

            Draco lowered his head slowly, taking almost too much at first. He used his hand as Harry had on what he couldn’t fit into his mouth. After a few bobs of his head to get an idea of what he could take, Draco sucked hard the next time he pulled his head up. He heard Harry swear as he spread his legs wider and suddenly one of Harry’s hands was in his hair.

            Draco lifted his mouth and Harry moaned and reluctantly reached up and grabbed a hold of the pillow again. Draco smiled and then reached through the bedcurtains, opening the drawer of his nightstand and retrieving the little jar they had used earlier. He closed the bedcurtains tightly again once the jar was in his hand.

            Harry moaned again as the sight of the little jar and Draco saw his prick jerk. Draco smirked. He leaned down and licked a drop of precome from the tip of Harry’s cock, but then pulled back. He wanted to watch as he stretched Harry for his cock.

            He pushed Harry’s knees up towards his chest so that he could see that part of Harry he was about to touch for the first time.

            Harry watched Draco’s face as Draco’s slick fingers touched his hole. He shivered at the intense look on his lover’s face and when Draco’s eyes lifted and locked onto his own, Harry stopped breathing for a moment. His breath escaped him in a rush as he felt a finger slide into him.

            Draco reached up with one slick hand and slowly pumped Harry’s cock while he stretched Harry’s hole with the other. His eyes moved back and forth between Harry’s face and what his hands were doing. Draco really wasn’t sure who was getting more pleasure from what he was doing.

            When he thought Harry was ready, Draco pushed his sleep pants off and kicked them to the floor. He slicked up his cock and then slowly pushed into Harry. Draco slid all the way in on one stroke, making Harry hiss in pain and reach down and grab his shoulders tightly. Draco pressed little kisses all over Harry’s face in apology. He hadn’t been prepared for just how good it would feel to be inside Harry.

            Draco reached down and stroked Harry’s cock, which had softened a bit with the pain of penetration. Draco stroked until Harry was hard again and kept stroking until Harry was pushing back against Draco.

            Draco pulled back and pushed into Harry again. He forced himself to keep his strokes slow, until Harry growled at him to move faster, to thrust harder. Draco panted and sweat dripped down his face and dropped onto Harry’s heaving chest. Harry’s legs were tight around Draco’s waist, but he reached down and slipped them over his arms, his hands holding onto Harry’s hips as he pounded into him.

            The change in position made Harry cry out as Draco hit his sweet spot and he couldn’t stand not touching Draco any longer. He brought his arms down, stroking up and down Draco’s back, pulling on his shoulders as Draco pounded into him over and over again.

            Draco leaned down to kiss Harry, pressing against him and giving Harry just the amount of friction on his cock that he needed. Draco’s mouth muffled the shout Harry gave as Harry filled the space between them with his come. Draco threw his head back and pounded even harder into Harry, until the rhythmic tightening of Harry’s muscles around him began to ease and he suddenly came, pushing as deep as he could as he shuddered with his orgasm.

            Draco collapsed on top of Harry, panting against the side of his neck. He felt Harry turn his head and press little kisses against his ear.

            “Damn, Draco,” Harry said breathlessly into Draco’s ear.

            Draco leaned up on his elbows with a little frown. “What?” he asked, still panting.

            Harry smiled. “You’re amazing.”

            Draco smirked, despite still not having caught his breath. He moved to Harry’s side and Harry used his wand to cast cleaning charms on them and to remove the privacy charm. They couldn’t afford to oversleep tomorrow.

            Draco turned on his side and threw an arm over Harry’s stomach and settled his head against Harry’s shoulder as he did every night. Harry used his wand to bring the comforter up to cover them and then put his wand on the headboard and held Draco close. This time, he and Draco actually drifted off to sleep.

*************************************

            Blaise and Theo had been having a fairly normal morning. They had gotten up, had a shower and gotten dressed. As they stood in their dorm room dressing they started quizzing each other.

            However, they both fell silent as they heard moans suddenly start to come from Draco’s bed. As they turned in that direction, they noticed something they had both missed before: a pair of boxer-briefs and pants on the floor beside Draco’s bed and another pair of sleep pants hanging off the trunk at the end of Draco’s bed.

            They looked at each other, but their gazes were drawn back to the bed as they heard Harry moan Draco’s name. Several moments of moaning later, they heard Harry shout Draco’s name and Vince and Greg stuck their heads out of the bathroom, looking first at Theo and Blaise and then turning to Draco’s bed in disbelief. All four watched Draco’s hand appear and grab the clothes on the trunk at the end of his bed.

            Harry woke to the wonderful sensation of Draco’s mouth on his cock. He moaned and pushed his hands under the covers and into soft hair. Harry spread his legs wider and relaxed, enjoying being woken in this manner.  Draco bobbed his head up and down on Harry’s cock, sucking and licking and making Harry moan again and again.

            He was surprised when Draco slipped a finger in his mouth alongside his cock, but he only moaned when the wet finger moved back and slid into him. He moaned again as the finger thrust in and out and he came shouting Draco’s name when it hit his prostate dead on.

            Harry was lying there panting when he felt Draco moan around his spent prick and then felt hot come hit his calf. He flipped the comforter back and grinned down at the sated blond lying between his legs.

            “Good morning,” Draco murmured up at Harry.

            Harry ran a hand through Draco’s hair and said, “Yes it is.”

            Draco smirked and sat up. Harry sat up as well. He reached for his wand to cast the cleaning charms and knocked his glasses off the headboard and onto the pillow. Grateful for the reminder that he needed to change back, Harry changed himself back to his ‘Potter’ form before casting the cleaning charms.

            That done, he started to get out of bed when Draco grabbed his arm. He turned to the blond.

            “Harry, you’re naked,” Draco said.

            Harry’s brows rose. “So are you.”

            Draco glared and moved to the foot of the bed. He stuck his hand between the curtains and pulled their clothes onto the bed with them. Harry rolled his eyes but slipped on his boxer-briefs and pants before getting out of bed.

            Draco slipped into his pants and stepped out of bed after Harry. The two found themselves the focus of four pairs of eyes. Draco scowled and then his eyes widened and a blush spread over his cheeks. He rounded on Harry.

            “Harry, you forgot to put up the privacy charm!” Draco said.

            Harry looked at Draco in disbelief. “Draco, you honestly expected me to think of that when I woke up with your mouth wrapped around-!”

            “Harry!” Draco said, blushing brighter.

            Theo gave a strangled moan and ducked into the bathroom. Shaking their heads, Vince and Greg disappeared back into the bathroom too. Blaise just muttered, “Lucky bastards!” and went back to trying to tie his tie.

            Harry saw that Draco was still embarrassed and a little angry. He slipped his arms around the blond and whispered into his ear, “Well, that was definitely a wonderfully relaxing way to start the day. Thank you, Draco.” He then kissed Draco on the cheek.

            Draco relaxed against Harry for a moment and then sighed and said, “We’d better finish getting dressed. We don’t want to be late for our first NEWT.”


	38. Unexpected

            Severus sat at his desk wearing a smirk. His seduction was proceeding wonderfully. Oh, he was well aware he was being too subtle for the wolf, but the reactions he was getting were even better than he had expected. Lupin was definitely not going to deny him when he decided to make his move and if Severus was not mistaken, the wolf was tempted to make a move of his own.

            Severus leaned back in his chair and considered where he wanted to take things from here. Harry was leaving after his last NEWT and the Headmaster was going to be furious. He wanted Harry to perform the Three Souls Ritual as soon as NEWTs were done.

            They were fortunate the man had left during the week of testing to distract the Dark Lord. Severus might wonder if the man was focusing on Dark rituals of his own were he not actually upsetting the Dark Lord’s plans. The last time Severus had attended a Death Eater meeting the Dark Lord had ranted and raved about the Headmaster ruining some plan or other of his.

            No, beginning an affair after NEWTs was not a good idea. On the other hand…if he were to take things to the next step before the week of testing ended, he could enjoy the wolf for a few days before the Headmaster returned. Those few days might well be enough to rid him of the desire he had for Lupin. If not, he would do well to think further on this situation.

            A slight frown came to Severus’ face at the thought. Then he shook his head. He would take care that whatever happened between him and Lupin did not affect Harry. Otherwise, there was no reason he could not enjoy an affair with the wolf for an indefinite length of time.

            Pushing the thoughts aside, Severus returned to planning the next step in his seduction. Perhaps a brief trip into Hogsmeade was called for. The smirk returned to Severus’ face as he planned.

********************************

            Remus kept to the shadows as he sneaked down to the dungeons. Severus insisted on meeting in the dungeons to continue their discussion of what had happened on the night of the full moon. It was certainly the safest place for their discussions.

            Remus bit his lip as he slowed down and finally stopped in front of the door to Severus’ office. He took a deep breath and told himself yet again that he was _not_ going to pounce on the difficult, sexy man on the other side of the door.

            It might be safer to meet in the dungeons, but it was a serious test of Remus self control. It was even more difficult as Severus had moved their meetings from his office to his private quarters. Add to that how sexy he was with that intense, focused look on his face and the way the man had been letting him get close lately…

            Remus shivered. Last night as he left, he felt Severus brush against him as he walked out the door. Then there were all the little touches before that, the way Severus had actually sat next to him on the sofa.

            Remus swallowed and then quickly knocked on the office door. He was not going to continue thinking about it or he would end up doing something foolish.

            The door opened and Severus was standing there in front of him. “Lupin,” he said in that dark, silky voice, “come in.”

            Remus followed Severus inside. He waited as Severus warded the office door and then led the way to his private quarters. As Remus followed Severus across the room, he let his eyes drift over Severus’ body. He licked his lips as he wondered for perhaps the millionth time what Severus would look like without clothes.

            He jerked his eyes up, but not quickly enough from the way Severus raised a brow at him. He flushed and was grateful that Severus said nothing as he warded the door behind them.

            “Have a seat,” Severus said, gesturing to the sofa. Severus turned to pour them drinks, hiding his smirk. When he turned back to Lupin, his expression was neutral once again. Seeing the puzzled look Lupin was giving the bowl on his coffee table almost caused him to smirk once again.

            “You are more than welcome to it,” he said silkily as he handed one of the glasses to Lupin.

            Remus reached out and took a piece of chocolate from the bowl as soon as Severus sat down beside him. Perhaps if he focused on the chocolate he could keep his mind off of how close Severus was sitting. “When did you start keeping chocolate?” he asked just before taking a bite.

            Severus took a sip of Firewhisky and watched the chocolate disappear between Lupin’s lips. “I am aware you are finding it somewhat trying to answer all of my questions. I thought perhaps…” Rather than finish the sentence, Severus made a small gesture with his hand.

            Remus gaped at Severus. “You bought the chocolate for me?”

            Severus hummed in agreement and took another sip from his glass. He had to suppress yet another smirk as Lupin flushed and looked away as he took another bite of chocolate.

            Severus held his glass in one hand as he pulled Lupin into a discussion on curses and counter-curses. He was actually interested to learn of the various places Lupin had been on his travels and was even rather impressed by Lupin’s extensive knowledge of Defense Against Dark Arts.

            “Tell me, Lupin. Have you considered sitting for your Defense Mastery? I cannot imagine you would have difficulty passing the test. Indeed, your knowledge is obviously more extensive than the Ministry tests for,” Severus said.

            Remus flushed with pleasure at the compliment, but the smile he gave Severus was slightly bitter. “I am a werewolf. We both know how difficult it would be for me to even arrange to sit for the test.”

            “Perhaps,” Severus said. He turned the conversation back to more pleasant things. He was surprised to find that he enjoyed conversing with Lupin. He hid his smile behind his glass as Lupin reached out and took another piece of chocolate. Lupin’s light brown eyes sparkled with enthusiasm and he grinned as he chewed on the chocolate.

            After a while, Severus stood to pour them another drink. As he turned, he heard Lupin say from behind him, “Oh! I hadn’t realized I had been here so long already! I’m sorry, Severus. I should-”

            Severus turned back to the wolf and raised a brow. Remus flushed, but walked over and set his empty glass on the side table next to Severus’. He couldn’t help brushing his arm across Severus chest as he did so.

            Severus felt his body respond to the caress. As Lupin turned to leave, he said, “Lupin.” When the werewolf turned back to him, he smiled and said, “You have a bit of chocolate…there.”

            Severus smirked as Lupin blushed and reached up. Before Lupin’s hand could reach his mouth, Severus grabbed his wrist. He stared into Lupin’s eyes, pleased with the way Lupin’s breath caught and then sped up. As he leaned in, his eyes dropped to the smudge of chocolate at the corner of his mouth.

            Remus’ eyes opened so wide they almost hurt and it felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. As Severus leaned closer, Remus’ free hand came up and landed lightly on his shoulder.

            Severus licked up the chocolate, letting his tongue slide across Lupin’s bottom lip and then slip between his slightly parted lips. Lupin tasted of chocolate, Firewhisky and something Severus had only tasted once before, when Lupin had kissed him the night they tried the first new formula for the Wolfsbane potion.

            Remus eyes slid shut and he moaned and tilted his head slightly to give Severus better access to his mouth. He felt his erection throb and he shivered at the feel of Severus’ tongue sliding against his own. The hand he had on Severus’ shoulder slid up into his hair. Remus moaned into the kiss again at the feel of the silky strands.

            Severus did not let go of Lupin’s wrist, but he wrapped his other arm around his waist, pulling him closer.

            Feeling Severus’ arm come up around his waist, Remus melted against him. The kiss was hot and intense and when Severus pulled back and looked at him with eyes burning with lust, Remus was certain they were headed for the bedroom.

            Indeed they were, but as Severus opened his mouth to invite Lupin to his bed, he jerked back with a hiss of pain and grabbed his left arm.

            “Severus?” Remus asked, instantly concerned.

            After a moment, the worst of the pain faded and Severus said, “It seems we will have to finish this some other time. The Dark Lord is calling.”

            “Of course,” Remus said, voice filled with worry and disappointment.

            Nothing more was said as Severus walked Remus to the door to the corridor. Just as they reached the door, Remus spun around and pulled Severus close. He pressed his lips to Severus’ and kissed him a little wildly. When he pulled back he said, “Be careful.” With that, he turned and left.

            Severus watched the wolf walk away for a moment before warding his door and heading for the fireplace to Floo directly to Malfoy Manor.

***********************************

            Remus sighed and poked at the food on his plate. He resisted the urge to look down the table at Severus. The Headmaster had returned the day after Severus was called away to a Death Eater meeting and Remus had not had a chance to be alone with the Slytherin since that night.

            He wanted to make sure Severus was okay, that he hadn’t been hurt at the meeting. He also wanted to know what that kiss had been about. Severus had said they would continue…but continue what, exactly? Was Severus planning some kind of one-night stand or a fling?

            Remus knew himself too well to believe he could ever be satisfied with anything temporary when it came to Severus. Of course, if Severus were interesting in a fling, it might at least give Remus a chance to convince him to give a permanent relationship a try.

            A sigh escaped before Remus could stop it. He stuffed a bite of food into his mouth to prevent more sighing and looked around the room. A small smile came to his face as he caught sight of Harry.

            Remus hid his smile behind another bite of food. He wondered if Severus had realized yet just what that secretive little smile Harry sometimes wore meant. If not, Remus was not about to tell him. Still, Remus hoped he was there when Severus figured it out. He definitely wanted to see the look on the man’s face when he realized his son was no longer a virgin.

            Remus swallowed his food, and the chuckle that threatened at the thought.

***********************************

            Harry took the stairs two at a time, trying to get up to Gryffindor Tower before anyone else. He had just finished his last NEWT and should be heading for the dungeons to leave, but he remembered he had left a book up in the Tower. The rest of his things he had packed last night and had already left in Snape’s rooms.

            If it had been anything but one of his spell notebooks, he would have just had Neville get it and leave it with Snape, but he just couldn’t leave his notebook here. Fortunately, dinner had just started and nearly everyone was still at dinner.

            Harry rushed through the empty common room and up to his dorm room. He hurried over to the table beside the bed he had slept in for nearly seven years, and took off the spells he had used to keep others out. He sighed in relief as he took out the notebook and shoved it into the pocket of his robe.

            As he turned to leave, Harry paused to look around the room. For a long time, this had been the closest thing he had had to a home. A sad, wistful expression came to his face. When his eye caught on the door to the bathroom, Harry grimaced. He couldn’t miss this place however much it had once meant to him. Ron and Ginny had ruined that for him.

            With one more look around the room, Harry turned and left. He slowly crossed the common room, flooded with more memories. He was only halfway across the room when he heard a voice from behind him.

            “Going somewhere, Harry?” Hermione called.

            Harry turned in surprise. He resisted the urge to go for his wand. He only needed to distract her long enough to get out of here and go to the dungeons. He certainly didn’t need to give anything away by letting Hermione know he didn’t trust her.

            “What?” Harry asked, trying to appear confused.

            Before Harry could say anything else, Hermione cast a binding spell and Harry fell to the floor. She stared down at him with a cold, dispassionate look on her face.

            “I’m not as blind as you seem to think, Harry,” Hermione said coolly. There was something in her tone that chilled Harry. He fought to keep the panic off of his face, to present a slightly confused, completely ignorant façade.

            “Hermione, what are you talking about? What’s going on?” Harry asked.

            “I’ve been keeping a close eye on you since Ginny’s little failed seduction attempt and I’ve noticed your disappearing acts, Harry. I don’t particularly care if you want to have sex with the repulsive Potions Master, but I think there’s more.” Her voice suddenly got hard and she raised her wand and pointed it at Harry threateningly. “How much do you know?”

            “Hermione, what are you talking about? What on earth makes you think I’m sleeping with _Snape_?“ Harry said, not even having to fake the disgust in his voice at the thought of having sex with his father. “How much to I know about wha-?”

            Harry broke off with a scream as Hermione suddenly cast the Cruciatus curse. He writhed and screamed in agony. He screamed until his throat felt raw. When Hermione ended the curse, Harry panted and winced as he swallowed.

            “I’ll ask you again. How much do you know?” Hermione asked in an almost bored tone of voice.

            Harry wheezed for a moment and then managed, “What are you talking about? Why are you-?”

            Harry screamed again as Hermione cursed him again. When it ended, Harry just lay there panting and shaking.

            “We have plenty of time, Harry. Dinner just started, so we have two hours, easy. I’ve also put up silencing charms, so don’t think the Fat Lady will be rushing off to report your screams. Now, how much do you know?”

            “About what?” Harry gasped out desperately. He couldn’t think beyond keeping Hermione from finding out what he knew. The pain from the Unforgivable left him with no room to think of a way to escape. It wasn’t his first brush with the curse and, after the life he had led, he had a rather high threshold for pain, but the pain was still overwhelming. That was the nature, indeed, the purpose of the curse.

            Hermione questioned and cursed him, again and again. Harry continued to pretend ignorance. Thoughts of escape fled. He focused entirely on keeping Hermione from getting the information she wanted.

            After the eleventh or twelfth time she cursed him, Hermione paused with a sound of frustration. As she began pacing, Harry lay on the floor, shaking. He had the brief thought that prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus curse could cause nerve damage and he hoped whatever damage Hermione had done was not permanent.

            “Harry,” Hermione said conversationally, stopping suddenly and turning back to Harry, “you really don’t want me to have to get creative.” She stared down at him for a long moment.

            “’Mione…why?” Harry croaked out, wincing at speaking through a throat raw from screaming. “We’re friends…How could you…?”

            Hermione scoffed. “Friends? Please.” She stared at Harry for another moment and then continued. “And how could I?” That thought seemed to amuse her. She gave him a darkly amused look and said, “Harry, did you know my parents didn’t want me to return to Hogwarts this year? They were getting upset over such little things, always whining about ‘what happened to their sweet little girl.’

            “I did consider killing them,” Hermione said, conversationally, tapping a finger against her chin and staring off into space. “I am a legal adult in the wizarding world, after all. But then I thought that perhaps they might be useful later, so I merely adjusted their memories and sent them to Australia. If I find no further use for them I suppose I can leave them there to live out their lives. Well, the lives of the people I have them convinced that they are.” Again, that cold amusement bled into her voice.

            Suddenly, she turned her eyes back to Harry. “And those are people I at one time actually did feel some affection for. You…you I’ve never really liked. I have found it convenient to be seen as your friend and I have been rather well compensated for having to put up with you over the years, but don’t think something like _affection_ for you will stay my wand.”

            Suddenly, her wand snapped up and once again agony pulsed through Harry in waves. Time lost meaning in the haze of pain, but from the shaper pain in his throat and from the way he was shaking more violently than before, Harry suspected the curse lasted longer this time than any of the previous times Hermione had cursed him.

            “Now. How much do you know?”

            Harry couldn’t get any sound out, could only shake his head. This time, Hermione used a spell Harry was not familiar with. Rather than the waves of pain flooding his body, Harry felt a distinct pain in his chest as three of his ribs broke and another two cracked. Air rushed from his lungs at the sensation of having his chest stomped on by a heavy pair of boots.

            Once again, Hermione questioned and cursed and Harry pretended ignorance. This time, Hermione’s curses were more creative. Curses causing bruises and broken bones interspersed with the Unforgivable. There were curses Harry knew caused internal damage and once she used a curse that stopped his breathing. Black spots filled his vision and he nearly blacked out before she lifted the curse.

            Even breathing hurt and Harry could say nothing. His only response to her questions a slight shake of his head. The tone of Hermione’s voice gave away her growing frustration and so did the damage done by the curses.

            Hermione was once again using the Cruciatus curse when the entrance to the common room opened and Neville walked in. He froze in horror for a moment before pulling out his wand and stunning and binding Hermione, who was too focused on Harry to notice his presence.

            Harry did not notice Neville’s presence either, until Neville fell to his knees beside him. Even then, it took a long moment for Neville’s voice to reach him through the pain and longer than that for actual meaning to penetrate Harry’s pain fogged brain.

            “Harry? Harry! Are you okay? Talk to me! Harry?” Neville called desperately.

            “Nev..? Wha-what…?” Harry barely managed to whisper.

            “I saw you head up to the Tower and I waited for you to come back before I headed in to eat dinner, but you never came back!” Neville babbled, trying to think of what to do. “Madam Pomfrey! We need to get you to Madam Pomfrey!”

            “No!” Harry said, wincing. It was meant to be a shout, but it came out as a loud, hoarse whisper. “Just…hand me my wand and help me up.”

            “Harry,” Neville said, on the verge of tears. “Can you even…? I don’t think you can stand.”

            Harry gritted his teeth and struggled to push himself up. Neville, seeing how determined Harry was, reached out and helped him up. He flinched every time Harry winced and tried to be as gentle as possible. He held one hand out as Harry swayed on his feet and bent down to pick up Harry’s wand.

            As soon as his wand was in his hand again, Harry stepped towards Hermione. He nearly fell flat on his face and was only saved by grabbing onto Neville’s shoulder as Neville wrapped an arm around his waist. Harry closed his eyes and took a moment to gather his strength and then he moved closer to Hermione with Neville’s help.

            Harry managed to _Obliviate_ her, wiping her memory of their encounter. When he was done, he sagged against Neville and rasped out, “Help me to the dungeons?” Seeing the look of indecision on Neville’s face, along with the utter loathing as he looked at the witch lying at their feet, Harry shook his head. “Just leave her. We’ll deal with her later.”

            Neville reluctantly turned from the witch on the floor and slowly helped Harry down the stairs. Harry used his invisibility spell, worried about how much time had passed as Hermione tortured him. It was a slow, painful trip. Harry tried to hurry, wanting to be gone by the time someone came across Hermione, but the broken bones and the shaking made it difficult.

            When they finally reached the dungeons and knocked on the door to Snape’s office, the door opened immediately.

            “What-?” Severus’ angry question died as he caught sight of Harry. He had thought perhaps Harry had stopped to say goodbye to Draco and lost track of time. He was horrified to see the state Harry was in. “What happened?” he demanded.

            “Hermione,” Neville said grimly.

            As Severus helped Harry into Harry’s favorite chair in the corner of the office, Severus muttered, “And I suppose you are going to try to tell me I can’t kill _her_ either.”

            “Like Draco and Blaise like to say, she can’t suffer if she’s dead,” Harry said softly. “Besides, after this I want to be the one to make her suffer. If you really want to make her pay, make sure she survives this war.”

            Severus wanted to argue or question Harry, but it was obvious that speaking was painful for him. “Sit here a moment,” he said softly, instead. Severus turned to a cabinet to one side of his office and selected several vials.

            Severus turned back to Harry and he stared to hand the first vial to Harry, but he noticed just how bad Harry was shaking and gave his son a sharp look. Harry noticed and said simply, “Cruciatus.” The single word made Severus inhale sharply and he seethed at the knowledge that Harry had been subjected to that particular curse.

            Severus turned and pulled a vial from a drawer in his desk. He gave this vial to Harry first and then gave him each of the others from the cabinet. Severus said nothing as Harry swallowed each potion, though he was relieved to see the worst of the shaking ease.

            “Let’s get you to Malfoy Manor,” Severus said quietly after Harry had rested a few minutes. “Narcissa has studied healing spells extensively and she keeps a stock of healing potions.”


	39. Discoveries

            Severus and Lucius stood in the doorway to a bedroom at Malfoy Manor and watched grimly as Narcissa treated Harry’s injuries, which were far more serious than Severus had realized. He had been shocked and horrified when Narcissa had scanned Harry and listed the numerous injuries.

            “Who did you say was responsible for this?” Lucius asked quietly.

            “Granger,” Severus replied, voice dark and cold.

            “What did you have planned for her?”

            Severus face became grimmer. “Harry has insisted I do nothing. He wishes to be the one to punish her.”

            Lucius nodded slightly. “You and I would do the same.”

            Severus said nothing and they were silent until Narcissa left Harry’s bedside and turned to them. She looked over her shoulder at Harry as she reached her husband’s side.

            “He’s asleep now which is for the best. I think it would be better if he stayed here for a few days before going to stay with Victoria,” Narcissa said.

            “He is certainly welcome to stay here as long as he needs,” Lucius said. “But with the Dark Lord still obsessed with getting inside the Manor Harry will be safer with Victoria.”

            Severus inclined his head. He was aware of the Dark Lord’s attempts to get into Malfoy Manor. The Dark Lord even put the Manor under surveillance a few times looking for a way through the Manor’s wards and defenses. The problem would only get worse after Draco graduated, especially since Lucius had no intention of letting Draco take the Dark Mark.

            “I must return to Hogwarts,” Severus said reluctantly.

            Narcissa and Lucius nodded. “Yes, the last thing we need is for the Headmaster to begin to get suspicious. It is highly unlikely he would connect your absence with Harry’s disappearance, but the coincidence could still have him keeping a closer eye on you,” Lucius said.

            Severus nodded once and with a last look at Harry he turned to leave.

************************************

            Remus took deep breaths and closed his eyes as his office door closed behind Neville. When he had smelled Harry’s blood earlier, Remus had been frantic. He had followed the faint scent up to Gryffindor Tower where he ran into an unusually grim and serious Neville.

            Remus swallowed and tried to ignore the tickle in his throat. He managed to ward the door and put a silencing spell in place before giving in to his need to growl. Deep, rumbling growls low in his throat sounded throughout the room. Had he not been so angry he would have been surprised to hear such a sound come from himself.

            He began pacing, Neville’s words swirling in his mind. His imagination provided him with a stunningly clear image of the scene Neville described walking in on. The growls stopped and he snarled as he thought of what he would like to do to Hermione Granger.

            Suddenly, Remus felt the prickling, tingling sensation sweep over him that preceded the transformation. Remus gasped, his anger lost as shock and fear overtook him along with the change.

            Never had he changed without the pull of the full moon! As the change swept through him, his shock increased and he gasped. There was no pain! There was only a smooth rippling of skin and muscle lasting only moments.

            Remus shook himself, feeling fur fluff slightly at the movement. He looked down and saw paws, felt the strange sensation of a tail moving behind him. He looked at the floor and was further surprised that he did not see the shreds and tatters of his clothing. He stood and paced the tight confines of his office, his shock and fear gradually replaced with wonder and awe.

            He was a wolf! Not even the man-like beast that Sirius, James and Peter had described, but a _wolf_. He caught sight of himself in mirror to one side of the room. He was a large wolf with fur the same light brown as his hair; his eyes were now a deep golden brown rather than his usual light brown.

            Remus stuck his tongue out and watched a long, bight pink tongue appear from between sharp teeth and then he blinked. He was seeing in color. He had always thought that canines, and thus werewolves, saw in black, white and shades of grey.

            A knock on his office door drew his attention away from the mirror. He panicked slightly, not wanting to be caught like this. That same prickling, tingling sensation swept over him again followed by the momentary ripple of skin and muscle. This time he saw the change take place in the mirror he had been looking in.

            The transformation was quick and smooth and when it was finished he stood staring wide-eyed at himself in the mirror. His clothes were in place, not even rumpled. And the transformation itself…It had looked like every animagus transformation he had seen!

            Another knock on the door pulled Remus from his thoughts. He struggled to push aside the thoughts and emotions swirling through him. When the third knock came, Remus shook himself and went to remove the wards from the door.

*************************************

            The night after Harry left, Severus was sitting at his desk in his office glaring at a stack of essays he needed to grade. He resisted the strong urge to go to Malfoy Manor and check on Harry. As many times as Narcissa had healed him and Lucius after Death Eater meetings, Severus had no doubts of her healing skills. Even so, Severus was feeling restless remembering the lengthy list of injuries Narcissa had recited.

            He was jerked from his thoughts by a light knock on his office door. He frowned and checked the time. It was long after his office hours and after curfew. No one should be at his door at this hour. The knock came again, slightly louder. Severus removed the wards from the door and kept his wand pointed at the door as he gave the command to enter.

            Severus watched in surprised as Lupin entered and quickly shut the door behind him. Replacing the wards on the door, Severus asked, “Lupin. What are you doing here?”

            Remus’ frown bordered on a glare. “Severus, when were you planning to tell me what happened to Harry?” Severus raised a brow and said nothing. Remus’ frowned deepened into a glare and he gave a little growl. “Severus!”

            Severus felt his blood heat at the growl, but he focused on the wolf’s words. “I take it Longbottom told you?”

            Remus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Yes, Neville told me. He couldn’t say how badly Harry was injured though.” Remus gave Severus a worried, questioning look.

            Severus sighed and stood. Lupin was definitely going to need Firewhisky for this conversation. He removed the wards from the door to his private quarters and, once inside with the wards on the door replaced, he gestured for Lupin to sit. After pouring two glasses of Firewhisky and joining the impatient, worried werewolf on the sofa Severus finally spoke.

            “When Harry arrived in my office he was shaking, wheezing and covered in blood and bruises,” Severus said blandly. He ignored Lupin’s gasp and continued. “The shaking was the result of prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus. The wheezing and some of the blood on his face was a result of the broken ribs and punctured lung. Some of the blood came from his broken nose. His left arm was broken in three places and his right was fractured.”

            Severus took a sip of his Firewhisky and continued reciting the list of injuries. “His right arm was also dislocated. There was internal bleeding. Minimal damage to his liver, fortunately. He also-” Severus broke off when Lupin growled and shot to his feet.

            He remained silent as Lupin began pacing and continued growling. Just when he would have continued, Lupin stopped pacing and suddenly his body began to ripple and shift. Severus’ hand tightened around his glass and his heartbeat and breathing quickened as he found himself face to face with an angry wolf.

            This time, Remus was so caught up in his outrage and pain at hearing what Harry had been through that he hardly noticed the change. As soon as the change was complete he began pacing and growling again. It was only when he was suddenly hit with the scent of Severus’ fear that he realized what had happened.

            Remus stopped pacing and growling and turned to the sofa to see Severus staring at him. He was pale and holding the glass in his hand so tightly his knuckles were white. Though his face was expressionless, his eyes were wide and Remus could see his chest rise and fall quickly and hear the fast pace of his heart. Remus took a step towards Severus, intending to reassure him, only to see the man press back into the sofa.

            Taking a deep breath, Remus focused and was able to change back. He looked at Severus nervously and said softly, “Severus?” He watched as Severus quickly downed the rest of his Firewhisky and then the full glass Remus had left on the coffee table. Remus approached slowly and sat on the sofa next to Severus, taking care to leave extra space between them.

            After finishing the second glass, Severus took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Lupin was once again human and sitting next to him. There were no angry growls filling the air and Lupin even looked a little concerned. After a few more deep breaths Severus said, “It would seem I need to continue working on the formula for the Wolfsbane potion after all.”

            Remus shook his head. “No. I told you I felt like I had a lot more control over my wolf now and it’s true. I only found out late yesterday that I could change without the full moon. With a little practice and watching myself in a mirror as I changed, I’ve noticed the change is now like that of an animagus transformation. Really, you were in no danger, Severus. I was completely in control and fully aware of what I was doing.”

            Severus felt the last of his fear disappear as professional curiosity overcame him. “Are you saying that you’ve become an animagus rather than a werewolf?” he started to get up and get his notes so that he could write this down, but Lupin shook his head and put his hand on Severus’ arm.

            “I’ll tell you about it later, Severus,” Remus said. “I’d rather hear how Harry’s doing.”

            Severus settled back onto the sofa and frowned. It took him a moment to turn his mind back to their original topic of conversation. He sighed. “Harry’s injuries were extensive. I took him to Malfoy Manor and left him in Narcissa’s care. She has studied healing spells extensively and has had plenty of experience in healing Lucius and me after meetings with the Dark Lord. She will take good care of him.”

            Remus frowned. “I am surprised Draco has not rushed home to be with Harry. Or tried to kill Granger for that matter.”

            “Harry insisted Draco not be told. He didn’t want Draco distracted from his tests or losing his temper and going after Granger,” Severus said. His lips thinned in anger and he stood and poured more Firewhisky. He handed Lupin a glass as he returned to the sofa. “Harry insisted that Granger be left alone.”

            Remus sighed. “I can’t say that surprises me.”

            There was silence as the two men sat there and drank Firewhisky. Remus frowned as something occurred to him. “How have you kept the Headmaster from finding out Harry’s gone?”

            “Apparently, Harry and Neville already had a routine in place to keep the other Gryffindors from noticing he wasn’t sleeping in the dorm,” Severus said with a fierce scowl. Remus hid his smile behind his glass as he took a drink of Firewhisky. “And with NEWTs still going on no one has notice yet that Harry is not around,” Severus continued. “If I’m not mistaken the Headmaster will be leaving again tomorrow so with any luck Harry’s absence will continued to go unnoticed for another few days.”

            Remus nodded. “I realize it is rather late,” Remus began hesitantly, “but do you think I could visit Harry? I would understand if Lucius and Narcissa would rather we didn’t show up at this time of night, but…”

            Severus stood. “Lucius and Narcissa are used to late night visits.” He would never admit it, but Severus was pleased to have an excuse to check on Harry.

************************************

            Lucius was not surprised when Severus stepped out of the fireplace in the middle of the night. He didn’t expect to see Lupin as well, but given the worried expression on the man’s face it would seem he’d heard of Harry’s run in with the Granger witch.

            “He should be sleeping at the moment, but Narcissa is upstairs with him performing healing spells,” Lucius said as he stood. He led the way up to the room Harry was staying in.

            Through the open door the three men could see Narcissa sitting in a chair beside Harry’s bed. She appeared exhausted, but she smiled when she looked up and saw them through the doorway. Severus and Remus entered the room and stood to one side of the bed and Lucius joined his wife on the other side.

            “He’s breathing easier and the shaking has stopped,” Severus murmured, mostly to himself.

            Narcissa nodded. “He’s going to be fine. He was fortunate to have reached your office as quickly as he did, Severus. Because of the potions you gave him I was able to completely reverse the effects of the Cruciatus. I’ve managed to heal most of the internal damage.

            “The internal bleeding has stopped and I’ve healed his lung and his liver. The broken bones are still mending, but I’ve set his shoulder. There’s only a bit of bruising and soreness left. The damage to his throat has mostly healed-”

            “Damage to his throat?” Remus asked. “What-?”

            “Mostly from the screaming,” Narcissa said softly, reaching out to gently stroke Harry’s hair. “But there was also some damage from a curse that stopped his breathing.”

            “It is a very dark spell,” Lucius said. “I’m not certain how a witch of her age and background could have learned it.”

            “Granger has always enjoyed researching and learning things she should leave alone,” Severus said with a sneer.

            Remus moved closer and leaned down closer to Harry. Harry was breathing easy and appeared to be sleeping deeply. Even so, Harry still had bruises on his face and along the side of his neck disappearing under the blanket covering him. Remus took a deep breath and blinked rapidly to keep from embarrassing himself.

            He gently ran a hand through Harry’s hair, much as Narcissa had done, and whispered, “You need to stop worrying us like this, Harry.” He dropped a kiss on Harry’s forehead and then straightened.

            “How long until he’s back on his feet?” Remus asked.

            “He will need a great deal of rest, but he should be completely healed by the end of the week. In a few days we can move him to Zabini Estate. He will be safer there and I have already asked Victoria if I could stay for a few days until he’s well again,” Narcissa said.

            “We need to get back to Hogwarts,” Severus said after a few minutes of silence. His voice gave away none of his reluctance, but he was at least pleased to see Harry looking much better than last night when Severus left.

            Remus nodded reluctantly and turned to leave.

            “I will take good care of him, Remus,” Narcissa said.

            Remus gave her a small smile and nodded.

********************************

            Remus followed Severus out of the fireplace. He felt much better having seen for himself that Harry was okay. Now he just had to think of what to tell Severus about his discoveries without giving too much away.

            Without conscious thought, Remus’ eyes drifted over Severus’ form. As he looked up he caught the satisfied smirk on Severus’ face. Remus ducked his head and pretended he hadn’t seen the smirk.

            After stepping out of the room, Remus led the way towards the living room. Only partway down the hallway, he suddenly turned around and pushed Severus up against the wall. “Feeling very pleased with yourself, are you?” Remus growled into Severus’ ear. He crushed his lips to Severus’ without giving him a chance to answer.

            Remus thrust his tongue into Severus’ mouth. There was no duel, no fight for dominance. The kiss was pure possession -- a claiming, a branding. Remus’ tongue stroked Severus’ with a hint of wildness and possessiveness that left Severus stunned.

            The kiss was so hot, Severus melted, held up by the hard body pining him to the wall. He gripped Lupin’s shoulders and moaned as the deft tongue leisurely stroked his own yet again. When Lupin slowly pulled back, Severus was panting and dazed.

            Those light brown eyes had deepened to a warm gold and were now staring at Severus intently. Severus felt a hand slowly, deliberately stroke down his back and move around to his stomach. His heart beat faster as that hand continued to move with that slow, deliberate glide down his abs. His head fell back against the stone wall behind him and his eyes slid to half-mast, his chest rose and fell rapidly with his panting.

            When that hand finally reached its goal there was no hesitation. Severus groaned and his eyes slid closed as Lupin’s hand squeezed him firmly. Lupin’s chest pressed more firmly against his and he shuddered when he felt a warm, wet tongue trace the shell of his ear.

            Severus was drifting in a delicious haze of pleasure. A hand firmly rubbing him, a tongue and lips and teeth tormenting him, licking and nibbling his ear, leaving sharp little nips along his neck; every little move pushing his pleasure higher.

            He slammed his head against the wall and groaned loudly as that hand slipped inside his robes and trousers and stroked his bare flesh. His hips bucked, thrusting into Lupin’s hand.

            Despite the intensity, lust was a slow burn in his veins. It burned hotter and brighter than anything Severus had known before; he hadn’t known he could feel this much pleasure without exploding, without falling over the edge.

            But Lupin kept pushing the pleasure higher and higher. The nips and nibbles and licks drifted down Severus’ neck to his chest. Severus’ robes and shirt slid off his shoulders unnoticed. His attention was focused on the wet tongue tracing his collarbone and the hot kisses pressed to his chest. 

            He gasped and pushed his hands into Lupin’s hair as Lupin’s mouth found one of his nipples. His mouth moved back and forth, teasing Severus’ nipples with a mixture of quick licks and open-mouth kisses. Severus groaned and his hands tightened in Lupin’s hair.

            Severus’ eyes snapped open as Lupin’s mouth and his body heat disappeared. His glare melted and his demands died on his tongue as he saw Lupin on his knees. Those warm golden eyes held his as Lupin slowly pumped his cock with one hand and leaned forward to lick the leaking tip.

            The air rushed from Severus’ lungs as he watched and felt the warm, wet sweep of tongue as Lupin licked drops of precome from his cock. His legs trembled as Lupin slowly licked up the underside of his cock, stopping to suck gently on that spot just under the head.

            He groaned and his hands tightened in Lupin’s hair as Lupin suddenly took his prick into his mouth. Severus’ hips jerked, shoving his cock deeper into Lupin’s mouth. Lupin swallowed and then took the last few inches into his mouth and Severus groaned again as he felt the tip of his cock hit the back of Lupin’s throat.

            He panted and trembled as Lupin slid his mouth up and down his cock. Groans and moans poured from his throat as Lupin sucked and swallowed. Severus could feel his orgasm approaching, a huge tidal wave of pleasure bearing down on him.

            Just as Severus felt himself begin to slip over the edge, Lupin stopped and pulled away. Severus moaned in frustration and need and he glared down at Lupin, still kneeling at his feet.

            Remus’ eyes traveled up the delicious body bare to his gaze, past the throbbing prick jutting out from a nest of black curls, up the sweat slick skin of Severus’ abs and chest to looking into Severus’ flushed face. Stroking his hands up Severus’ abs and chest, Remus raised his brows and said, “Bedroom?”

            Severus looked at Lupin in disbelief for a moment before growling and jerking the other man to his feet. He dragged Lupin the few steps to his bedroom door and threw it open. He turned and jerked Lupin into his arms as the door swung open, kissing him aggressively as he pulled Lupin into his bedroom.

            Remus groaned into Severus’ mouth. He let Severus control the kiss for a few moments before taking over. He stroked his hands up and down Severus’ bare back, savoring the feel of warm skin under his hands. Suddenly he stopped and shoved Severus down on the bed.

            Severus looked up at Lupin and shivered at the sight of the predatory grin the other man was giving him. He leaned up on his elbows as Lupin kneeled between his feet, still grinning. Lupin’s hands stroked his thighs as Lupin leaned forward. Severus groaned as Lupin’s mouth sucked him in. He pushed one hand into Lupin’s hair and his head dropped back on his shoulders.

            “Lupin,” Severus groaned, hips lifting off the bed. His head jerked up when cool air suddenly hit his wet cock.

            “I don’t think I’m being too forward asking you to call me by my first name, Severus. In bed at the very least,” Remus said.

            Severus looked at the other man for a moment and then growled, “Remus.”

            Remus gave him a wicked grin and leaned forward slowly. For long moments Remus teased Severus with licks and nibbles before finally sucking his cock into his mouth again.

            Severus watched as Remus sucked his cock. The short trip from the hallway to the bedroom had brought him back from the edge, but he could feel his orgasm approaching once again. He groaned, his hips thrusting, his cock sliding in and out of Remus’ hot mouth.

            He paid no attention to Remus pulling the rest of his clothes off until Remus stopped what he was doing and pulled back just as Severus was ready to explode. “Remus,” he growled, his hand tightening in the light brown hair.

            It finally occurred to Severus that the wolf was as on edge as he was when Remus stood and began pulling his clothes off. As he undressed, he stared down at Severus, his eyes shining with lust.

            “Severus, tell me you have some lube here somewhere,” Remus said in a husky voice as he dropped his clothes to the floor.

            Severus looked up at Remus for a moment before turning over and crawling up the bed. He was reaching into the drawer of his nightstand when he heard a growl and felt the bed dip behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw Remus kneeling on the bed behind him at the same time he felt warm hands stroked down his back.

            “So damn sexy,” Remus moaned, squeezing when his palms reached the globes of Severus’ ass. He couldn’t resist leaning over and taking a little bite.

            “Lupin!” Severus glared over his shoulder at Remus.

            Remus leaned over Severus, pressing his chest to Severus’ back and kissing and nipping his neck. “Remus, remember, Severus?” he asked, stroking his hand along Severus’ arm and taking the jar of lube from his hand.

            He set the jar on the bed in easy reach and kissed across Severus’ shoulders as his hands stroked and caressed Severus’ body. He smoothed his hands down Severus’ back all the way to his thighs and then slipped his hands around front and slid them back up Severus’ body. Remus gave Severus’ cock a quick, teasing stroke before moving his hands up to pinch and tug on his nipples.

            He smiled against Severus shoulder as Severus began rocking slightly under him, unconsciously encouraging Remus. His smile grew when Severus stilled with a soft gasp as he felt Remus’ hard prick slide against him. He gently bit Severus’ shoulder as he used one of the very few wordless, wandless spells he knew.

            He felt Severus jerk forward slightly and knew Severus had felt the brief tingling of the cleaning spell at his entrance. “Shh,” Remus said as he kissed and licked his way down Severus’ back. He could feel the muscles shifting under the soft skin under his lips and had to swallow a groan.

            “Remus?”

            Remus heard the frown in Severus’ voice and a slight quiver of uncertainty he was sure the other man hadn’t wanted him to hear. “Trust me, Severus. You’ll like this,” Remus said softly, his hands pulling the rounded globes of Severus’ ass apart. A long, slow swipe of his tongue had Severus moaning.

            Severus’ hands clenched the sheets under him. He panted and moaned again as he felt Remus _lick_ him. He’d thought such a thing sounded rather disgusting when Remus had told Harry of it, but he was shocked to realize it felt incredibly good. He pressed back against Remus’ tongue, wanting more.

            He groaned and dropped to his elbows as he felt Remus’ tongue start to press into him. In the hallway, Severus had thought he’d never known such pleasure before, but that was nothing next to this. Every touch, every sound pushed him higher and higher. He hadn’t known it was possible to feel this good. He wanted more, wanted everything Remus could give him, but he was desperate to come.

            He reached down and started stroking his cock. Hard, fast strokes intended to get him off as quickly as possible. He jumped slightly when he felt a smack on his ass.

            “Do you really want me to stop so you can take care of that yourself?” Remus asked behind him.

            Severus gave a deep groan of frustration and leaned down on both elbows again. He was immediately rewarded by Remus’ tongue pushing into him. He groaned and just as before, gave himself up to the haze of pleasure. His only response to Remus pushing a finger in beside his tongue was to groan and spread his legs wider.

            He was brought out of his haze when the fingers and tongue pleasuring him disappeared. “Damn it, Remus! Stop stopping,” Severus groaned.

            Remus gave a strained laugh as he used the lube to slick his cock. He smothered a hiss of pleasure as his hand stroked his cock. He hadn’t touched himself at all when pleasuring Severus and he was so hard it almost hurt.

            He moved closer to Severus and lined his cock up. Using one hand to hold Severus’ hip, Remus slowly pushed inside. He dropped his head back on his shoulders and groaned at the feel of Severus tight hole around his cock. Severus was so tight Remus wasn’t sure he would make it all the way inside before exploding like a virgin.

            Despite the tightness, Remus was grateful and surprised to find that Severus was so relaxed he slid all the way in on one long, slow stroke. When their hips met, Remus leaned over, pressing his chest to Severus’ back and kissing his shoulders. He’d intended to ask if Severus was okay, but suddenly Severus groaned.

            Severus had felt every inch of Remus’ cock as it slid into him and he’d enjoyed it. The stretching, the slick cock sliding inside him, even the small bite of pain. He’d loved it all. But when Remus leaned over him, the change in angle had his cock pressing against something inside Severus that sent lightning bolts of pleasure shooting through him. He groaned and reached back to squeeze Remus’ thigh.

            “What did I say about stopping?” Severus panted out.

            Remus moaned and started thrusting. He tried to go slow, but it felt so good to be inside Severus. Severus wasn’t helping with his moaning and the way he was rocking his hips, slamming back against Remus with every thrust.

            Soon Remus was thrusting hard, panting and groaning in Severus’ ear. “So fucking tight, Severus! You feel so good.”

            Feeling Remus hot breath against his neck, hearing the wicked words pouring from Remus’ mouth, feeling that hard, thick cock pounding into him was too much for Severus. The pleasure burned through his veins like liquid fire, building and expanding until he exploded in a burst of ecstasy, shocked the bed did not catch on fire with him.

            Remus heard Severus shout his name and felt his body ripple around his cock. He groaned and picked up his pace, thrusting hard and fast into the pulsing channel gripping him. Just as he felt Severus start to relax under him, Remus’ orgasm hit him. His cock throbbed and pulsed and his hips jerked, his come flooding the tight hole.

            Spent he collapsed on top of Severus. He heard Severus grunt as he relaxed his weight onto him. Taking a few seconds to catch his breath, Remus smile tiredly and stroked his hand along Severus arm. Finally, he eased out of Severus and moved to his side.

            Severus straightened his legs and pulled a pillow under his head. He gave another grunt as he felt the wet spot under him. He was too tired to move, much less perform a cleaning charm at the moment. Severus opened his eyes as he felt Remus brush his hair back from his face.

            “Are you okay?” Remus asked quietly, stroking Severus’ shoulder.

            Severus snorted. He had too much experience with being tortured to mind the slight soreness he felt, especially as the pain came with pleasant memories for once. “I’m lying in a wet spot,” he said grumpily.

            Remus gave a tired laugh. Smiling, he reached out and pulled Severus to him so that the man was lying in his arms, pressed up against his side.

            Severus frowned up at him. “If you had that much energy you could have performed a cleaning charm.”

            Remus grinned at Severus. “I could have.” He gave another soft laugh when Severus just snorted and closed his eyes. Remus idly stroked a hand through surprisingly silky hair as they lay there drifting off.

            Suddenly, Severus’ eyes snapped open and he frowned at Remus. Remus looked at him questioningly and Severus said, “When were you going to tell me about turning into a wolf without the full moon?”

            Remus laughed. “Go to sleep, Severus.” He kissed Severus, a soft quick kiss on the lips. “I’ll tell you about it tomorrow night,” he said with a teasing light in his eyes.


	40. Rescue

            Severus had just finished grading a stack of essays when there was a knock on his office door. It wasn’t that late, but it was after curfew and Severus suspected there was only one person who would be outside his office at this hour. He stood and walked around in front of his desk before removing the wards from his door. His guess was proven correct moments after he gave the command to enter.

            “I believe you said something last night about talking of your transforming without the full moon?” Severus said archly.

            Remus grinned and walked up to Severus. Without saying a word he reached out and grabbed Severus’ face in his hands and kissed him passionately. The kiss lasted for several long moments and when Remus pulled back he was pleased to see the lust in Severus’ eyes.

            “Why don’t we go see Harry first and then we’ll talk? I want to go before it gets too late. I know he needs a lot of rest, but I’d like to talk to him this time,” Remus said, smiling. “I came early tonight so that we would have plenty of time. To talk I mean.”

            Severus watched the suggestive grin come to Remus’ face and the smooth, graceful way the man moved as he crossed the room. Remus’ movements showed the same confidence that had infused that enthusiastic kiss, a confidence Severus was finding incredibly sexy.

            Severus had been surprised by his behavior the night before. Despite finding that he enjoyed Remus’ dominant tendencies the first night they tried a new Wolfsbane formula, Severus’ plans for seduction had Severus taking the leading role as it were. After giving it some thought throughout the day, Severus realized just why he’d enjoyed having Remus take charge in the bedroom when Severus would have sworn he’d hate such a thing.

            With all his previous lovers, even Lily, Severus had been expected to take care of his lover’s needs and as well as take care of his own pleasure if he wanted it. Last night was the first time he’d had a lover focus on taking care of his needs, focus on pleasing him.

            What was still troubling him, however, was this morning. When Severus woke up, not only was Remus still in bed with him, but Severus was draped over the wolf, holding on tightly as if afraid the man would try to sneak out of bed while he slept.

            “Severus?” Remus asked, turning back to Severus.

            Severus pulled himself from his thoughts and removed the wards from the door to his private quarters. He led the way to the fireplace connected to Malfoy Manor without saying a word.

            No one was around when they arrived this time, so Severus led the way upstairs to the room Harry was staying in. Severus was surprised to find both Narcissa and Lucius in the room with Harry, but he was pleased to see Harry sitting up and smiling.

            “Hey!” Harry said, eyes lighting up at the sight of them.

            As before, Remus and Severus moved to the opposite side of Harry’s bed from the Malfoys. Remus smiled widely and leaned down and carefully hugged Harry. “Harry! You are looking so much better!” And he was. Most of the bruising had faded and he didn’t appear to be in any pain at all.

            “How are you feeling?” Severus asked.

            Harry looked over Remus’ shoulder and smiled at Snape. It certainly did not escape his notice just how close the man was standing to Remus. He shifted against the pillows he was propped up against and winced. He bit his lip and breathed through the pain. After a moment the pain passed and he looked up at Remus and Severus. Harry gave them a small, tired smile.

            “I’m a little sore and I’m sleeping a lot, but otherwise I’m fine,” Harry said. “How are things at Hogwarts? Has the Headmaster realized I’m gone yet?”

            “No,” Severus answered. He frowned and leaned over, his body brushing against Remus, and adjusted Harry’s blankets. He was so focused on Harry he didn’t notice anyone’s reaction to his actions but Harry’s and he assumed Harry’s little smirk was due to his adjusting the blankets.

            He completely missed Remus’ little smile and the surprise and confusion on Lucius’ face as he frowned over at Severus.

            Ignoring Harry’s smirk, Severus continued, “The Headmaster returned shortly after you left, but he left again before discovering your absence. Apparently, Longbottom has managed to prevent the other Gryffindor students from noticing your absence. Even before you left, it would seem.” Severus gave Harry a stern look.

            Harry gave them a wide-eyed innocent look that had Remus smothering a laugh and Severus frowning more fiercely. “How is Neville?” Harry asked quickly.

            Remus’ smile slipped off his face and his sighed. “Upset as I’m sure you can imagine. He’s been sleeping in my office and sneaking up to Gryffindor Tower just to prevent anyone from noticing his or your absence. When not actually being tested, he’s been staying in my office to study. I’m sure Blaise and Draco have noticed something is going on, but Neville has kept his promise to you, Harry.”

            Harry sighed. “I know he was not very happy with promising to hide this from Draco and Blaise and to leave Hermione alone, but I’m glad he’s managed to keep his promise.”

            “You made him promise to leave Granger alone?” Severus asked. He’d heard Harry ask Longbottom to promise to hide the situation from Draco and Zabini, but he’d not heard any other promise.

            Harry nodded. “He didn’t like it and I think he agreed more because he could tell it was hurting me to talk than because he actually agreed with me. One thing I love about Neville though is he always keeps his promises.”

            “You should not let her get away with this, Harry. She deserves to be punished,” Narcissa said with a little frown.

            Harry gave her a cool smile. “Oh, I have every intention of seeing her get punished. I had been hesitating since I’d worried that my plans for her were going a little too far, but now I’m not worried about that anymore in the least.” Harry’s smile grew wider. “I’m going to need a little help, but I really think you’ll appreciate it.”

            “What did you have in mind?” Lucius asked with a  raised brow, looking intrigued.

            Harry’s smile turned secretive. “I’ll let you know when the time comes to start putting the plan into motion.”

            “You plan to tell us nothing until it is time to act?” Severus asked, voice filled with dissatisfaction.

            Remus gave a small laugh and his eyes sparkled with amusement as he looked at Severus. “You can hardly object when it’s obvious he gets it from you.” Severus frowned and Remus grinned. “You plan meticulously, double and triple checking everything before you are satisfied. Why are you surprised your son would want things planned out to his satisfaction before he starts sharing his plans with others?”

            Severus gave Remus a disgruntled look and turned back to Harry. Remus gave a small, quiet laugh and leaned closer to Severus until their shoulders brushed lightly. Severus gave a deep sigh and looked at Remus, an unreadable expression on his face. Remus just grinned at him.

            Both men were so caught up in their interaction, they were blind to the others watching. Again Lucius gave his friend a confused frown. Harry smiled as he watched the two men.

            “Well, Harry, I think we will leave and let you get your rest,” Remus said after a moment when Harry yawned, leaning down to hug Harry again. 

            “Yes, I believe Lupin and I need to talk,” Severus said, giving Remus a pointed look.

            “Of course,” Remus said, a small smile and an innocent look on his face. Severus gave him a look indicating he wasn’t fooled at all and they left.

            Lucius turned from watching them leave, his frown still on his face, to see his wife and Harry exchanging small smiles. His frown deepened and he turned back to the empty doorway.

***********************************

            Back in Severus’ private quarters, Remus followed Severus to his living room and sat on the sofa as Severus poured them both a glass of Firewhisky. He smiled and reached over and took a piece of chocolate out of the bowl Severus continued to keep on his coffee table.

            “Now I believe you have some explaining to do,” Severus said giving Remus a pointed look.

            Remus gave Severus a questioning look, hiding a smile when Severus glared at him as he handed Remus a glass. “Where would you like to start?” Remus asked as Severus sat beside him.

            “You claim the change has become like that of an animagus transformation, but you are certain that you have not become only an animagus?” Severus said with a little frown.

            “No,” Remus said, taking a sip from the glass in his hand to give him time to decide what to say. “The change itself has become painless and easy, lasting only moments rather than hours. Also, my clothes change with me rather than the change causing me to outgrow them and shred them. But that is where the similarity to an animagus ends.

            “For an animagus, the animal shape they take on is determined by their personality and various character traits. They feel no connection to the animal unless they are in the animal form. Even while in the animal form they don’t think of the animal as a separate part of them. They simply have use of the enhanced faculties and abilities of the animal while in the form of the animal.”

            “What of the capacity to retain your consciousness? Did you not say that while in the form of a wolf last night you were completely aware of your surroundings?” Severus asked carefully, tensing slightly.

            Remus nodded. “Yes, I was completely aware last night. But it wasn’t the same as with an animagus. For me, the wolf is now simply another part of myself. One I can now connect with, whatever form I am in. Even before you gave me the perfected formula my senses were greater than those of people not infected with the lycanthropy virus. Now, my senses are almost at the level of the wolf, even when I am in the form of a man. Perhaps it’s a balancing measure. I’ve the wolf’s senses as a man and the man’s mind as a wolf.”

            Severus sipped his Firewhisky and thought over what Remus had told him. He was pulled from his thoughts when Remus leaned forward and set his empty glass on the coffee table. Severus raised an eyebrow when Remus took his glass from his hand and set it on the table next to his own.

            “Satisfied?” Remus asked with a suggestive grin, pressing close as he slid his hand across Severus’ chest.

            “Not yet,” Severus said in a dark, velvety voice as he leaned over and pressed his lips to Remus’. He pulled Remus into his arms as he kissed him, determined to take control this time.

            Remus gasped into the kiss when Severus suddenly pushed him down on the sofa and covered him with his body. He let himself remain pliant under Severus’ aggressive passion, enjoying the way Severus was roughly pushing and pulling at his clothes in an attempt to reach bare skin.

            Remus enjoyed both taking and being taken and in the past had always taken whichever role felt most appropriate with whoever he was with. He had enjoyed being the aggressor last night, but he could feel Severus’ need to be in control tonight and he was more than willing to let Severus lead the way.

            Severus broke the kiss when he finally got Remus’ shirt and robes opened. He smirked down at Remus as he tugged the shirt and robes off and tossed them in the floor and then he let his eyes drift over the man lying under him.

            Remus’ face was delightfully flushed and he was panting softly. Severus’ eyes were drawn to soft lips as Remus’ tongue swept out in a slow lick across his lips. Severus leaned down and stole a quick, hard kiss before leaning back again. His eyes drifted down over the lightly defined pecs with the slight dusting of brown hair, down to a hard stomach with a trail of hair disappearing into the waistband of Remus’ pants.

            Severus’ eyes drifted back up and he caught sight of faint scars on Remus’ shoulder. He stroked his hands up Remus chest, loving the groan Remus gave, and traced the scars with his fingertips. After a moment he realized he was looking at claw marks. His hand stilled as he realized these scars were most likely the result of the attack that led to Remus becoming a werewolf.

            When Remus moved restlessly under him, Severus looked into his face and saw some of the lust and passion in Remus’ expression had been replaced by unease. He gently squeezed Remus’ shoulders until Remus looked up at him. Then, holding Remus’ gaze with his own, Severus slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to the scars.

            He felt Remus inhale sharply. Severus trailed open mouth kisses across Remus’ shoulder and then traced the scars with his tongue. After long moments of teasing, Remus threw his head back and moaned. Severus felt a flash of pride and a spike of lust that he was having such an effect on the other man.

            Severus’ tongue left the scars and drifted down Remus chest. Remus’ breathing quickened and he let out a long, low moan when Severus’ mouth reached his nipple. After a few teasing strokes with his tongue, Severus licked his way across Remus’ chest to his other nipple, giving it the same teasing.

            Severus smirked when he felt Remus hands slide into his hair and try to hold him against his chest. He licked, nipped and sucked Remus nipples; back and forth, teasing one then the other until the grip on his hair was almost painful.

            “Severus,” Remus moaned. “Please.”

            With one last bite to the nipple he was teasing, Severus began to kiss his way down Remus’ chest. He unfastened and opened Remus trousers as he moved down Remus’ body. When his kisses drifted down across Remus’ abs, Severus eased the trousers and underwear down.

            As the last of his clothes hit the floor, it seemed to finally hit Remus what Severus was about to do. His head shot up and he looked down at Severus in disbelief. “Severus?” Remus asked breathlessly.

            Severus gave Remus an almost challenging glare and deliberately licked up the underside of the hard cock right in front of his face. Pleased with the gasp Remus gave and the way his head dropped back down to the arm of the sofa and his eyes slid shut, Severus repeated the move. This time he was rewarded with a groan.

            Severus had never performed the act before, but he was curious and determined to drive Remus out of his mind with pleasure. He took his time exploring with his hands and his lips and tongue. Every move or touch that produced a moan or groan was repeated as Severus discovered what Remus enjoyed.

            Remus wasn’t sure if he was in heaven or in hell. The sexiest man he’d ever met, the man he’d been in love with for years, was lying between his legs giving his first blowjob. The delicious physical sensations alone were enough to have Remus panting with need, but knowing Severus had never done this before, that he was willing to do this for Remus had Remus fighting to hold on to his control.

            Remus opened his eyes and looked down when Severus stopped for a moment. Just as his eyes met Severus’ Severus swallowed his cock. Remus breath left him in a rush as the sight of his cock disappearing between Severus’ lips and the feel of that warm, wet mouth pushed every thought from his head. When Severus’ head lifted, his cheeks hollowed as he sucked, Remus’ head dropped to the sofa arm and his back arched with pleasure.

            Severus’ eyes never left Remus face. He’d enjoyed the stunned expression, but this look of almost painful pleasure Remus was wearing now was one he was determined to see often. Severus raised and lowered his head slowly at first, sucking hard on the way up and then giving a slow lick around the head before dropping back down.

            The more frantic and wild Remus became under him the quicker Severus moved. He was holding Remus’ hips still with both his hands, but then he slid one hand across Remus stomach and held him down while the other hand slipped between Remus legs and gently squeezed his balls.

            Remus gave a hoarse shout and Severus felt the cock in his mouth throb before spurt after spurt of come filled his mouth. He swallowed and continued to suck, drawing out the pleasure. When Remus finally went limp under him, Severus pulled his mouth off the spent prick and then licked up the bit of come that had escaped his mouth, loving the shudder that passed through Remus at the act.

            Severus stared down at Remus and watched him pant as he stood. Remus’ eyes opened and he watched as Severus slowly undressed. As exhausted as he was, Remus licked his lips a Severus’ body was revealed. He felt lust begin to swirl in the pit of his stomach, even though his body was not yet able to act on it.

            Remus felt the intense stare throughout his body as those dark eyes swept over him.  When Severus was undressed and he summoned the jar of lube, Remus gave a soft moan. He eagerly spread his legs as Severus climbed onto the sofa between them.

            Severus took his time stretching Remus. It was another first for him and not only did he enjoy the sounds it produced, but he was not about to embarrass himself by moving too fast and causing Remus any pain or discomfort. Remus moaned and writhed under him and by the time Severus replaced his fingers with his cock, Remus’ prick was hard and leaking precome.

            Severus gritted his teeth as he sunk into Remus. When his hips met Remus’ he paused for a moment to savor the sensation and to fight to hold onto his control. He nearly lost it when Remus arched under him and moaned out his name. He started with slow, shallow thrusts, but that didn’t last long. He’d been holding on for too long and Remus’ demands for harder and faster were too much to ignore.

            The sofa rocked and creaked under the force of Severus’ thrusts. Severus pressed hard, demanding kisses on Remus’ lips and then threw his head back and groaned. Determined to hold on and not come before Remus, Severus reached between them and stroked Remus. He tilted his head slightly when he felt Remus press licks and kisses along his neck.

            The scrap of Remus’ teeth on his neck was too much for Severus. He threw his head back and groaned as his cock throbbed and pulsed, buried deep inside Remus. The intensity of the orgasm left Severus feeling weak and he collapsed on top of Remus.

            Despite the intense pleasure, Severus was feeling slightly disappointed until he fell onto Remus and felt the come between them. Satisfied he hadn’t left his partner unfulfilled, Severus relaxed as he tried to catch his breath.

            Several moments later both men had managed to catch their breath. Severus was nearly asleep when Remus said, “Are you really planning on making me sleep on your sofa?”

            Severus leaned up and glared at the soft smile Remus was giving him. With a grunt he pulled out of Remus and stood. A flick of his wand left them both clean as he started towards his bedroom. He gave no outward reaction when Remus slipped an arm around his waist and nuzzled his neck as they walked into the bedroom, but when they fell into bed together Severus threw an arm over Remus and pulled him close.

*************************************

            Severus woke and took a moment to savor the warmth of the body pressed close to him. His eyes flickered open and he stared into the sleeping face of his lover. As it was every morning, Severus was holding Remus tightly to him.

            A week had passed since the first night Severus took Remus to bed and the werewolf had slept in his bed every night since, not leaving until the last possible moment. A few days they had both nearly been late to their first classes because they’d indulged in morning sex. They’d even discovered Severus’ shower was in fact large enough to hold them both.

            But every morning had started out just like this one. Severus would wake and bask in the warmth of Remus’ presence in his bed. He’d lie there and hold Remus until he woke.

            Severus had rarely woken with a lover still in his bed. Even when he was with Lily, they’d had to hide their relationship which meant he had usually had to leave only hours after arriving.

            But then most, if not everything, about this was strange for Severus. His lover being a man; his pleasure in the aggressive, dominant tendencies of his lover; even waking clinging tightly to his lover in the mornings. The pleasure he took in his lover’s company outside of bed Severus had only ever experienced with Lily before, and even that was different with Remus.

            “Severus? What’s wrong?” Remus asked softly.

            Severus turned his focus from his thoughts to the man in his bed. “I was just wondering at our good luck,” he said smoothly. “NEWTs are over and yet no one has noticed Harry’s absence. Harry has had time to fully recover and the Headmaster has not yet come to me about the pain he is surely feeling. Something is going to go wrong very soon.”

            Remus frowned and snuggled closer to Severus. “Well, between us and Neville and Minerva, we’ve managed to keep the Weasleys and Granger from getting suspicious. And it’s a good thing the Headmaster has not come to you yet? I thought we wanted him to come to you so that you could judge when he would be vulnerable?”

            “Yes, but the longer he waits the more damage the poison will do and the more I can blame his pain on him not coming to me sooner, leaving him with less suspicion when the pain continues.”

            Remus nodded slightly and tried not to be distracted by the feel of Severus’ hands on him. He wondered, as he did most mornings, if Severus even realized he started softly stroking Remus as soon as he realized Remus was awake. It was almost as if Severus were trying to soothe him.

            Both men tensed when they heard a beautiful, musical trill come from the living room. They quickly climbed out of bed and dressed as quietly as possible. Remus waited nervously out of sight in the bedroom as Severus went to investigate the sound. They’d been careful to keep up the appearance of barely civil tolerance for each other and the last thing they needed was for someone to discover them in bed together.

            After several long moments, Severus returned to the bedroom with a letter in his hand. “It’s from the Headmaster. He wants to see me immediately and I’m to bring ingredients for dealing with poison. It seems he’s already tried a bezoar.” Severus snorted. “Several in fact.”

            Remus pulled Severus close and kissed him deeply. When he pulled back he wore a concerned, worried expression. “Be careful, Severus.” When Severus looked at him with an eyebrow raised and a mixture of arrogance and disdain on his face, Remus laughed softly. “I know, you are always careful. But still, I worry.” Remus bit his lip to stop himself from saying more. Things had been going very good between them, but Remus was certain Severus wasn’t ready to know just how much Remus cared already.

            Severus looked at Remus for a long moment and then kissed him slowly, thoroughly. Then without a word, he left.

***************************************

            “Ah, Severus, come in,” Dumbledore said. The twinkling in his eyes was muted and his voice was slightly hoarse.

            Severus carefully kept all expression except for a slight edge of respect from his face. “Albus, I believe your letter said something about a poisoning?”

            Dumbledore heaved a heavy sigh. “Yes, my boy. I hadn’t wanted to trouble you and I tried to deal with it on my own, but I have continued to feel the effects of the poison.”

            Severus frowned, schooling his features into a mask of concentration and a disapproval. “You should have come to me immediately, Albus. What symptoms are you experiencing?” he asked as he set out various items.

            “Mostly pain and fatigue. I was not too worried until the pain continued to worsen and the fatigue began to affect my ability to cast spells,” Dumbledore said as he patiently sat and allowed Severus to perform various diagnostic spells.

            For the first time, Severus noticed how the man’s hand never strayed far from his wand while Severus performed spells. He gave no indication he’d noticed and continued to play his part. After he felt an appropriate amount of time passed, Severus frowned fiercely.

            “Albus, I believe your decision to wait to call me may have some permanent effects. I should be able to reverse the weakness, but the pain may linger for a while yet. It could even be permanent,” Severus said.

            Severus pulled out a few potions he’d prepared ahead of time. Little more than Pepper-Up and a coffee substitute, the potions would have no real effect. He watched as the Headmaster quickly downed them.

            “It will take approximately a week for the last of the poison to dissipate from your body,” Severus said. “Though as I said the pain may well be permanent.”

            “Thank you, my boy,” Dumbledore said. Severus had to suppress a snort. The man was an excellent actor, Severus would give him that. “Now, I have other news to share as well.”

            Severus raised an eyebrow in question.

            “I have not wanted to worry anyone, but it seems Harry has gone missing.”

            Severus snorted and used the emotions he felt for Granger to fuel his expression. “Missing? The brat is probably just running around the castle getting into trouble with one of his little friends,” Severus sneered.

            The Headmaster shook his head. “I have checked. He is no longer on the grounds of Hogwarts. I plan to send out a search party. As I am still experiencing the weakness from the poisoning, I will have Minerva take charge of the search. I wanted to ask you for a favor, Severus. I think Remus would be too emotional to be of much help on the search, not to mention the full moon is coming up soon.

            “I would ask one of the other members of the Order, but with Remus here teaching it would be less suspicious for you to be around him. Perhaps you could distract him for me? I realize you do not care to spend any time around him, but it would be of great use to me. It would make it easier to locate Harry safely I mean.”

            Severus gave Dumbledore a disgruntled expression and nodded. While he had no problems keeping Remus “distracted,” he had to wonder what the real reason was for keeping Remus out of the search for Harry.

************************************

            Three days after Severus’ meeting with the Headmaster, Minerva McGonagall stood outside a dilapidated house and looked at the select members of the Order she had chosen for the rescue mission. As her gaze landed on the face of each, she wondered if she had made the right decision.

            Taking a deep breath, she turned back to the house. The windows were all boarded up and the only way in or out of the house was the front door. Everything about the place screamed abandoned. To the eyes of the rescue team it also screamed trap.

            “Very well, everyone,” Minerva said quietly as she turned to the group. “If this is a trap they will not catch us unawares. I have made a portkey for everyone. It is a simple portkey and will not be very strong or last very long, but it will get you out of there if things go wrong.”

            Minerva passed out one to each member in the group. At Severus’ suggestion she had made the portkeys out of old necklaces and she waited until everyone had slipped the necklace on before taking another deep breath. “Ready?” When every one nodded, she slipped hers over her neck. As it settled into place all of the portkeys activated.

            The group pulled out their wands as they arrived in a clean, brightly lit entrance hall. Before anyone could say a word, they saw Harry through an open doorway. He was tied to a chair, covered in blood and appeared unconscious.

            A couple members of the group started to rush forward and were grabbed by the others. They slowly inched their way to the doorway together, keeping a careful eye out for Death Eaters. As they reached the doorway and saw that the room Harry was in was empty other than Harry, three members of the group hurried to Harry while the others stood watch in the doorway.

            Suddenly spells were flying and soon the group of rescuers found themselves tied to chairs around a large table in the same room as Harry. When the last person was in place, Harry suddenly sat up straight and grinned.

            “Fred, George, I think you went a little overboard with the fake blood,” Harry said wryly.

            The shocked rescuers turned and saw the small group that had overpowered them did indeed include the Weasley twins. They also saw Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy and a dark haired woman.

            “Fred? George?” Bill said incredulously. “This isn’t the time for jokes! Dumbledore thinks Harry has been kidnapped by Death Eaters!”

            The twins grinned at their older brothers and their father, but said nothing. Harry stood, pushing aside the fake restraints, and move to the head of the table. He looked at the group that had been assembled. Arthur, Bill and Charlie Weasley were present, as were Tonks, Shacklebolt, and, surprisingly, Madam Hooch.

            Harry looked at McGonagall. He was slightly disappointed with how few people were present. McGonagall shook her head.   
            “Harry, I thought it best to err on the side of caution. There may be more, but once we deal with…” She broke off and looked around the table. “I believe it best to start small, Harry.”

            Harry nodded. He supposed she was right. After all, after they killed Dumbledore Harry would have the rest of the Order members to help him against Voldemort and their beliefs of Dumbledore’s goodness would not matter.

            “Harry, what’s going on?” Shacklebolt asked in his deep voice.

            “Well, before I explain…” Harry said.

            While the rescuers focused on Harry, those that had helped set up this meeting stepped up behind them. Fred stood behind Bill, George behind Charlie, Remus behind Tonks, Lucius behind Shacklebolt, Narcissa behind Madam Hooch and Victoria Zabini behind Arthur. Snape moved up behind Minerva.

            Suddenly the group sitting at the table were each dosed with Veritaserum. McGonagall had already been questioned so Severus freed her while they waited for the potion to take effect on the others. Then each rescuer was thoroughly questioned by the person who dosed them.

            Harry was pleased that none of the people McGonagall had chosen knew the truth about Dumbledore. When the questions had been answered satisfactorily, Harry waited a moment longer for the Veritaserum to wear off and then looked at each person still restrained in turn.

            “You wanted to know what this was all about, well I’ll show you,” Harry said seriously.

            Each person was unrestrained in turn and allowed to view Harry’s memories in a pensieve. He wasn’t really comfortable with everyone knowing about his home situation with his muggle relatives, but he hoped the shock of discovering the truth about Dumbledore would distract from that.

            When everyone was once again seated, Fred and George replaced Harry’s memory with one of their own. Harry watched as they showed this to their father and brothers. From the reactions on Arthur, Bill and Charlie’s faces, Harry guess the twins had shown them their memories of finding out the truth about Ron, Hermione and Molly.

            There was a long moment of silence as Harry waited for everyone to process what they had seen. After a moment, Shacklebolt asked with a frown, “So now you’ve decided to join the Death Eaters?”

            “What were you and Severus doing in the Headmaster’s private quarters?” Madam Hooch asked at the same time.

            Harry shared a look with Snape and then turned back to those seated at the table. Harry wasn’t going to tell just anyone and everyone about their relationship. He certainly wasn’t ashamed of it, but they were still trying to figure things out and they didn’t need any outside pressure on them.

            “During the first part of the school year, Snape had noticed I was acting strangely. He even had me go see Madam Pomfrey to make certain I was okay. Then he came by over Christmas break and we ended up discovering I had a few binding spells on me,” Harry said carefully. “One was put in place by Dumbledore and the other…”

            Severus stepped up to the table and glared at Arthur Weasley. “The other was actually the result of two powerful love spells done by none other than the young Miss Weasley,” he said in a cold sneer. “Fortunately, she was not strong enough to perform the spells correctly, though they still had some effect.”

            Gasps went around the table and Arthur paled. Bill and Charlie looked shocked and shook their heads in disbelief.

            “Ginny? Are you certain?” Arthur asked, looking at Harry with a desperate plea on his face.

            Remus stepped up and gently squeezed Harry’s shoulder. “If there had been any doubt, I assure you Ginny has removed it with her actions.” Harry shuddered with disgust as he remembered Ginny’s attack.

            Arthur’s face fell and he looked down at the table. His face flushed and he said quietly, “I don’t know what to say, Harry. I’ve seen you like family and to know my family has treated you in such a manner…”

            Harry swallowed hard at the shame and sadness in Mr. Weasley’s voice. “I assure you, I don’t hold Ron, Ginny or Mrs. Weasley’s actions against anyone but them. You’ve always been very kind to me, Mr. Weasley, and Fred and George have been dear friends.”

            “And the Death Eaters?” Shacklebolt asked.

            Harry ran a hand through his hair. “I decided I didn’t like either side in this war so I started a third side. I’ve already started recruiting Death Eaters and have a fair number of them agree to join me. Far more than I have Order members, I assure you.”

            Harry grinned at the stunned expressions that met his announcement. Even McGonagall, who had yet to hear of this, looked stunned. After a moment, Victoria stepped forward.

            “I realize this is a lot to consider. Why don’t we step into the sitting room and discuss this? I had been expecting more guest than this, but with such a small group there is no need for a conference table.” With that, she gestured to a door to her right and led the way into the sitting room.

            As the group reached the sitting room, it broke into smaller groups. The Weasley men stood to one side of the room wearing serious expressions. Shacklebolt and Madam Hooch cornered McGonagall and Victoria began a discussion with Narcissa after summoning a house-elf with drinks. Harry stood off to one side of the room by himself watching the others.

            “Remus, you are looking great! Especially this time of the month,” Tonks said cheerfully as she approached Remus.

            Remus turned to her with a grin. “Thank you. I love the pink hair, Dora.” He gave a small laugh as her bubblegum pink hair turned neon pink as she blushed.

            Across the room, Severus glared at the pink-haired witch flirting with his lover. After several moments of distracted conversation with Lucius, Severus decided it was time to go rescue Remus from the witch who was throwing herself at him. Severus smirked when a panicked expression flashed across Remus’ face at something the witch said. The smirk disappeared when she reached out and stroked the back of Remus’ hand.

            Without a word to Lucius, Severus walked over to Remus and Tonks.

            “Nymphadora Tonks,” Severus said coolly as he reached Remus’ side. He gave her hair a pointed look. “There is certainly no mistaking you were in Hufflepuff.”

            Tonks rolled her eyes. “Thank you.” She grinned at Remus and changed her hair color as she winked at him.

            Remus gave her a small smile, but Severus saw the panic in his eyes as he turned to Severus. “Severus, was there something you needed?”

            “I wanted to discuss tomorrow night with you,” Severus said smoothly. “Nymphadora, if you have any other questions perhaps you should ask Minerva.” He raised his brow and waited.

            Tonks huffed and then grinned at Remus. “I’ll see you later, Remus!”

            Severus and Remus watched her cross the room. When she joined Minerva, Shacklebolt and Hooch, Remus turned to Severus. “What about tomorrow night, Severus?”

            “I thought, as tomorrow night is the full moon, it would be best if you were to remain in my presence all night. So that I might watch for any signs the formula needs more work,” Severus said smoothly, taking a sip from his drink.

            Remus grinned. “Certainly. I’ll make certain I’m with you all night.”

            “Very good,” Severus said, in a dark, velvety voice.

            Remus’ grin widened. “You really only came over here because you didn’t like Dora flirting with me, didn’t you?”

            “I was under the impression that my intervention was appreciated,” Severus said, raising a brow arrogantly.

            Remus’ grin took on a suggestive edge. “I’ll be more than happy to show you my appreciation when we get back to Hogwarts,” he murmured.

            The two men exchanged a heated look, but before they could continue their conversation, Narcissa walked up. “Remus? I was just wondering if you planned to invite Tonks to the wedding. As your guest?”

            Remus jerked around to Narcissa, having been so wrapped up in his flirtation with Severus that he’d not even noticed her approach. “What? Oh. Oh, no. Dora and I are just friends.” He smiled at the petite blond witch.

            Narcissa frowned across the room at Tonks. “Well, she certainly does not seem to be aware of that fact.”

            Remus glanced over and almost winced when Tonks grinned at him and waved cheerfully. “So I realized tonight. I will have to talk with her.”

            Narcissa smiled. “A good idea. Now, speaking of the wedding, Victoria and I were talking and it occurred to me…”

            Severus did not catch what was said next as she dragged Remus off. He was glaring at them as Lucius joined him.

            “Are you going to tell me what is going on between you and Lupin, Severus?” Lucius asked quietly. He stood beside Severus and sipped his drink as he waited for an answer. Severus turned to his friend and lifted an eyebrow. Lucius glared. “I have been your friend for nearly thirty years, Severus. You trusted me enough to tell me about everything that happened with Lily.”

            Severus stared at Remus across the room for a long moment. Not taking his eyes off of his lover he said, “We are having an affair.” Then he took a sip of his drink.

            Lucius was careful to keep his expression neutral. “That’s all you have to say, Severus?”

            Severus turned to his friend. “What more would you like me to say, Lucius?”

            Lucius frowned. “Severus, as far as I know you’ve never had any interest in men before. Have you had male lovers before and simply never told me? As long as we have been friends, I can’t imagine I wouldn’t have noticed before now if you have.”

            “No, I’ve not had a male lover before.”

            Lucius frowned. “What has changed? Why Lupin? Why now?” Lucius frowned more deeply. “And what about Harry?”

            “For Harry’s sake I forced myself to be nice to the werewolf and then I found that he appealed to me,” Severus lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I saw no reason I could not have what I wanted and I have taken care that Harry remains unaware of the affair.”

            “I would not be so certain of that,” Lucius said, giving Harry a thoughtful look.

            Severus shook his head. “The affair did not start until Harry was in Narcissa’s care after Granger attacked him. Harry could not have seen or heard anything to make him the least suspicious.” Severus looked at his friend and asked coolly, “Do you have a problem with it?”

            Lucius gave Severus a haughty glare. “If I did, do you think I would let my son marry a male Gryffindor? Even if he is your son?”

            Severus looked at Lucius for a moment and then inclined his head in a sharp nod. They turned back to watching the others and sipped their drinks in silence.

            Harry watched everyone talking and sighed. He’d been prepared to make a big presentation and spend hours answering questions as he had with the Death Eaters, but he didn’t see the necessity with this group. He was disappointed that the group was so small and with half of them being Weasleys, Harry had probably said all he really needed to say.

            He sighed again. He supposed it didn’t matter. He’d get the Order’s help by default when Dumbledore was dead and the fewer people who knew his plans that came into contact with Dumbledore the less likely Dumbledore was to find out.

            The Order had already been conditioned by Dumbledore to follow along blindly. Harry doubted that would change when he took over. Perhaps there hadn’t been any real need to get Order members on his side. Perhaps this had been just a waste of time and effort. Harry started to sigh again, but then something occurred to him.

            He set his drink down and said loudly, “Excuse me!” When he had everyone’s attention, he continued. “I think I’ve probably said all I really need to say about my idea of a third side in this war. You’ve seen what Dumbledore is capable of, you know he needs to be stopped just as much as, if not more than, Voldemort. And with the more Death Eaters we have join this third side, the fewer enemies we have to face.

            “At this point, there’s little left to say. If you have any questions after you leave you can ask Professor McGonagall or Fred or George, whoever you find it easiest to contact. If they don’t know the answer they can contact me.

            “Really, the only thing left for you to decide is whether or not you can work with Death Eaters. If you can, when the time comes, I may need you to convince the Order members that they are on our side. Maybe even convince them that they have _always_ been on our side.

            “If you are prepared to do this, then with such a small group I don’t see the need for separate meetings. The next meeting to discuss the state of the war will be with the Death Eaters.” Harry waited to see what kind of reaction his words elicited. He was expecting the frowns and looks of unease, but the grins the twins gave him surprised him. They shouldn’t have, but they did.

            “Brilliant!” The twins said together.

**************************************

            Remus wore a little smile as he exited the fireplace after Severus. As he followed Severus down the hallway to the living room in Severus’ private quarters, the smile grew into a grin. Reaching out, he spun Severus around, pulling him into his arms and kissing him.

            As the tongues stroked and tasted, Remus dragged Severus into the bedroom and pushed him down onto the bed. As he leaned over and began pulling Severus’ clothes off, he grinned suggestively and said, “I really appreciated you rescuing me earlier, Severus.” He kissed bare skin. “Let me show you how much.”


	41. Realizations

            The morning after the night of the full moon, Severus woke with a soft groan. He had often waked with aches and pains, but never had he woken with these particular aches. Wild was the only word to describe the activities of the night before.

            Remus had been aggressive and dominant, but most of all insatiable. Again and again Remus brought Severus to orgasm and even when Severus was spent, he continued to lavish attention and pleasure on him.

            Even so, Remus had not been gentle at all last night. In addition to the various aches he was feeling, Severus was sure he had several bruises all over his body as well as a few light scratches. Severus would be worried, but even with the state he was in last night Remus took care not to actually break the skin.

            Severus wasn’t certain he could move, much less _walk_ this morning, but there was no denying last night had been incredible. He couldn’t wait until the next full moon.

            Severus shifted slightly and felt the arm around his waist tighten. He felt warm breaths against the back of his neck. He blinked opened his eyes and frowned. For the first time since he and Remus became lovers, he was not wrapped tightly around Remus. Instead Remus was curled up behind him holding him tightly around the waist and pinning his legs to the bed with one of his own.

            Severus groaned when he felt the erection pressing against him. There was no way he was up for anything this morning. When hot kisses were pressed to the back of his neck, his tired aching body gave a small shudder and he groaned again. He wanted to, but he couldn’t.

            Severus turned over and kissed Remus. He pushed Remus over onto his back and began kissing his way down Remus chest and abs. He didn’t spend much time teasing this morning and it wasn’t long before Remus was groaning and his hands were tightening in Severus’ hair.

            As Severus moved up and kissed Remus again, Remus’ hands started stroking down his chest. Severus caught his hands and pushed them to the bed.

            “Severus?” Remus asked with a frown. “I don’t want to leave you unsatisfied.”

            Severus snorted. “I am still more than satisfied from last night.”

            Remus blushed. “Sorry. I suppose I was rather, ah, demanding.”

            “Mmm,” Severus said noncommittally. He sat up with a slight wince and checked the time. He had time for a long, hot shower and for a few pain-relieving potions to kick in.

            “Severus?” Remus asked with a frown, a slight edge of worry to his voice.

            Severus looked at Remus thoughtfully. He’d quite liked feeling Remus’ hands on him last night, even when he wasn’t up for sex. “We have enough time for showers. Join me and we will have time for you to help me apply this,” Severus said, tossing a small jar he’d taken out of his nightstand at Remus.

            Remus frowned down at the little jar.

            “It’s a topically applied oil with pain-relieving properties,” Severus said smoothly. He rose and started walking towards his bathroom as he continued. “It works best when heated and then massaged into the sore areas.”

            Remus set the jar on the nightstand on his side of the bed and hurried after Severus with a grin.

**********************************

            Later that night, Severus was lying in bed with a small frown on his face, thinking. Remus was lying next to him asleep with one arm over Severus’ waist and one leg pushed between Severus’ legs. Severus unconsciously stroked Remus’ shoulder as he thought.

            That morning, he and Remus had washed each other in the shower. Afterwards, Severus had lain on his bed and Remus slowly massaged him with the heated oil. Neither had been in the mood for sex and still the experience had an undeniably sensual edge. Tonight when Remus arrived, they actually managed to talk for a bit about some of the research they’d managed to do last night before things got wild.

            They were both still tired from their busy night and getting up early so it wasn’t long after Remus arrived that they went to bed. Not with the intention of having sex, but when it came time for sleep neither questioned that Remus would be staying. They’d walked into Severus’ bedroom and without a word they undressed and crawled into bed together. Remus pressed close to him and they both went right to sleep.

            Severus reached up to scratch his nose as he continued thinking. Remus was only his second lover. All the others between Remus and Lily were nameless one-night stands whose faces he couldn’t even remember. So perhaps it was inevitable that Severus would find himself comparing the two.

            Or perhaps more accurately, comparing the two relationships.

            It was so different with Remus than it had been with Lily, and not only because the two were different genders. Both relationships had to be kept a secret because of Severus’ spying, so that couldn’t be the reason the two were so different.

            Was it simply a matter of age?

            Looking back now, after learning Harry was his son and old wounds starting to heal, Severus could admit that Lily would always hold a special place in his heart. She was his best friend as a child, his first love and his first lover, and now he knew she was also the mother of his child.

            Their love had felt young and new and fresh. Even with Severus’ position as a spy, there had always been something playful about their love. In retrospect there was also something immature about their love. It was no less real for that and perhaps it would have grown in time into something more mature, but the feelings were very different from what he felt now.

            With Remus there was a depth to their relationship Severus was not familiar with, a connection he didn’t know how to explain. There was a maturity to their relationship that Severus was hesitant to attribute to being at a different point in his life than when he was with Lily, to being older.

            Perhaps Severus was just a different man than he’d been all those years ago. Years of living with the bitterness left from Lily’s apparent betrayal and years of being scorned because of his role as a Death Eater had left indelible marks on him. And now, learning Harry was his son and letting old wounds finally heal, his bitterness was slowly lessening and fading.

            Or maybe his relationship with Remus was so different from his relationship with Lily because Remus was different.

            Lily had been outgoing, vibrant and vivacious. She was so energetic, always moving, even when sitting and reading or studying. Her arguments were loud and passionate, yet she was always quick to smile and her smiles were bright and sunny.

            Remus was quiet and almost shy at times. There was a steadiness to Remus, a hidden strength that showed through in his dominant and aggressive tendencies, tendencies thus far confined to moments when he was alone with Severus. Despite his calm, shy demeanor, Remus was stubborn, with a quiet persistence. His smiles were soft and his grins were sly or mischievous.

            Severus looked at the sleeping man pressed against him. Even before they’d become lovers, Severus could admit he’d started to enjoy Remus’ company. Remus was intelligent, interested in and willing to talk about a wide variety of subjects, and even his teasing was subtle for the most part. His dry responses to Severus’ sarcasm often had Severus fighting to hide a smile.

            Suddenly, Severus realized he had not been thinking of what he had with Remus as an affair, but as a _relationship_. The implications of that were just starting to occur to him when suddenly his left forearm began to burn. Severus felt a small flicker of relief even as he jerked and hissed in pain.

            “Severus?” Remus asked, sitting up beside him. His face showed the same worry as his voice and he reached out and stroked Severus’ arm.

            “I have to go,” Severus said hoarsely as the pain passed. He climbed out of bed and dressed quickly. When he turned back to the bed he saw Remus still sitting in the bed watching him with worry and an edge of fear in his face.

            Severus strode over to the bed and slid his hand into Remus’ hair and leaned down and kissed Remus hard. As Severus pulled away, Remus reached up and pulled his head back down, kissing him again desperately. When the kiss ended, Remus held Severus close and looked deep into his eyes.

            “Return to me safely, Severus,” Remus said firmly.

            With one last kiss, Severus swept from the room.

**************************************

            The Dark Lord was torturing one of the newer Death Eaters when Severus arrived. He seemed to be completely enraged, not an unusual state for him lately, but tonight his rage seemed greater than usual. Severus quietly took his place next to Lucius and waited to see why this meeting had been called.

            The tortured Death Eater’s screams stopped abruptly and the Dark Lord had his body dragged from the room. He seemed to take several deep breaths before turning his attention to the rest of his assembled Death Eaters. No one moved, but a palpable wave of unease swept through the room.

            They waited for the Dark Lord to start speaking or to single someone else out.

            “Yet another of my plans have been disrupted tonight,” Voldemort said. He leaned back on his throne and continued in a deceptively calm tone. “This is but one of many instances in the past few months where that bumbling fool Dumbledore has managed to interfere in my plans. I have begun to wonder just how he could know of my plans, how he might have found out about them.”

            The tension and unease in the room grew. People tensed and carefully avoided looking at one another. They struggled to decide between keeping their eyes on the floor or on their Dark Lord, trying to decide which would seem less suspicious or would attract less attention.

            “Severus,” Voldemort said. He waited until Severus stepped forward and kneeled in front of him. “Would you know how the old fool has learned of so many of my plans?”

            “No, My Lord,” Severus said, keeping his eyes on the ground. “He has been keeping me busy running errands and babysitting.” Severus infused his voice with a mixture of disgust and resentment.

            “Is that so?” Severus felt a chill go up his spine at the tone the Dark Lord used. He tensed as the Dark Lord rose to his feet and took a step towards him. He could feel the Dark Lord’s eyes on him, but he kept his eyes down. “I find, Severus, that in the last several months you have not been very useful as a spy. Indeed, this is quite a coincidence, is it not?”

            “My Lord, the fool has not had any meetings, he has not discussed any matters with anyone. He has kept to himself,” Severus said, trying to think of a way to get away if things continued in this vein.

            Without warning, Voldemort hit Severus with the Cruciatus curse. Severus writhed and screamed. When the curse was lifted he lay there panting. “I think not, Severus. I am not as gullible as that old fool.”

            Voldemort stepped off his dais and walked around Severus, using curse after curse. He interspersed other dark spells between the Cruciatus curse. A pool of blood formed under Severus.

            Severus could feel his death approaching, a dark shadow on the edge of his consciousness. He struggled for each breath while his mind frantically search for a way out. Just as the Dark Lord raised his wand for another curse, the last Severus knew, Severus felt something slide against his skin.

            Remembering suddenly the gift Harry had given him, Severus gasped out the spell to activate the portkey. He caught a glimpse of white walls and bright lights before he lost consciousness.

***********************************

            Lucius felt his heart pound as he quickly slipped his wand back into his sleeve. He tucked his hands into his sleeves when he realized they were shaking. He swallowed and took a deep breath, then concentrated on projecting a calm demeanor.

            Every moment of the next two hours, Lucius forced himself to keep his thoughts away from Severus as he listened to the Dark Lord rage and watched others get tortured. There was a moment when he thought he would catch a curse or two as well, but by the time the meeting ended Lucius had managed to remain unharmed.

            As soon as they were dismissed, Lucius Apparated home. He stopped when he saw the house-elves cleaning a blood stain off the marble floor of the entrance hall. Hoping Severus had come here and that he was now in Narcissa’s care, Lucius hurried upstairs to Severus’ usual room.

            He stopped in the doorway as he saw his best friend lying in bed with Narcissa sitting next to him performing healing spells. A deep sigh of relief left him and he leaned against the door frame. He said nothing as he waited and watched.

            It was a few hours later when his wife finally sat back in the chair she had pulled up next to Severus’ bed. She pushed a stray hair out of her face and looked up at Lucius. “We will need to keep an eye on him tonight. For now, we need to give him these potions and then let him rest before I try more healing spells.”

            Lucius helped Narcissa give Severus the potions and then said, “Why don’t you get some rest as well. You will need it, I suspect. I will stay with him.”

            Narcissa nodded and rose. She hugged her husband tightly before heading to their bedroom for a few hours rest.

            Lucius sat in the chair next to Severus’ bed and looked at his friend. “We have had many close calls before, Severus, but this was much too close for either of us.”

*************************************

            Lucius was sitting in his study drinking brandy and basking in the relief he felt knowing Severus was going to live, when he was surprised by Remus stumbling out of his fireplace with worry and fear etched onto his face.

            “Lucius, have you seen Severus? He went to a Death Eater meeting two days ago and I haven’t seen him since!” Remus asked as he hurried over to Lucius’ desk.

            Lucius held back a frown. The meeting had been called fairly close to morning. Severus had said he was having an affair with Remus, but what was Remus still doing there at that time of night? And the fear and edge of panic in Remus’ tone didn’t seem quite right either…

            “Lucius?” Remus asked.

            Lucius put his glass down on his desk and stood. “He’s upstairs.” He gestured for Remus to follow him and led the way to Severus’ room.

            As he followed Lucius, Remus swallowed and asked, “How bad is he, Lucius?” He knew if Severus had been able to even so much as walk the stubborn man would have come back to Hogwarts.

            “He will live,” Lucius said.

            Rather than reassuring Remus, he felt his heart begin to race as he realized from Lucius’ tone there was a point when Severus’ survival had been in question. Remus swallowed a gasp as the door was opened and he saw Severus. Forgetting about Lucius, Remus rushed over to the bed. He sat on the bed beside Severus and carefully took his hand.

            “Damn it, Severus, I told you to come back to me safely,” Remus whispered as tears welled up in his eyes.

            Lucius watched Remus with a small frown. When Remus reached up and carefully brushed a strand of hair out of Severus’ face, Lucius finally realized what had seemed off, not only with Remus but with Severus as well.

            Even if Lucius could see Severus not mentioning right away his sudden interest in a man, it was definitely not like him to get defensive over an affair. What would it matter what Lucius thought of someone who would merely be warming Severus’ bed temporarily? Severus knew Lucius would not care where he took his pleasure.

            And then the easy way Severus had pressed against Remus when visiting Harry…it was not like Severus to let someone so close to him, much less move so close to someone else without even realizing.

            And the way Remus was acting now…that was not the actions or emotions of someone involved in a brief affair with an acquaintance or a colleague.

            Lucius continued to watch, wide-eyed, as Remus whispered softly to Severus and blinked back tears. He watched the careful, caring touches and was stunned.

            He was so caught up in his revelation, he nearly jumped when Narcissa joined him. A quick look at his wife’s face showed none of the surprise he was feeling. Narcissa was giving Remus a sympathetic look. After a moment, she spoke softly.

            “He’s going to be fine, Remus.”

            Remus turned at the sound of Narcissa’s voice. “How-” He could not even get the question out.

            Narcissa crossed the room and put her hand on his shoulder. “I’ve managed to heal most of the damaged. Fortunately, the Dark Lord was too angry to really take his time with Severus. Right now, the main concerns are blood loss and some internal injuries. I suspect he may wake before morning if you would like to stay.”

            Remus nodded. “I would, thank you.”

            Narcissa nodded and turned to the nightstand. Lucius watched as, without a word, Remus helped Narcissa give Severus the three potions he needed and then gently laid Severus back down. He carefully rearranged the pillow and blanket to make certain Severus was comfortable.

            As Narcissa set the last empty potion vial back on the nightstand she said, “Severus will need to eat when he wakes. I will have a house-elf bring something up. Would you make certain he eats when he wakes?”

            “Of course,” Remus said, already turning back to Severus.

            Narcissa crossed the room and pulled Lucius into the hallway, shutting the bedroom door. Lucius stood in the hallway, frowning at the door for a moment before following his wife downstairs.

*************************************

            Severus woke instantly alert. He kept his eyes closed as he tried to figure out where he was. As the last few moments before he lost consciousness replayed in his mind, he cautiously opened his eyes just enough to look around. Recognizing his room at Malfoy Manor, he was surprised to see Remus sitting on the bed beside him wearing such a look of concern.

            Severus opened his eyes and frowned at him.

            “Severus!” Remus breathed in relief. “How are you feeling?”

            Severus frowned more deeply as he realized he felt very good for the amount of damage he knew had been done. “How long-?” he croaked out.

            “Wait, let me get you something to drink. You need to eat as well,” Remus said, helping ease Severus into a semi-upright position before turning to a tray of food.

            After taking a drink to ease the dryness in his mouth, Severus tried again. “How long have I been gone?”

            Remus’ eyes darkened in remembered worry. “You left two full days and a night ago. I got worried and came to Malfoy Manor to see if Lucius knew what might have happened to you.”

            “The Dark Lord knows I’m a spy and tried to kill me,” Severus said tiredly.

            Remus closed his eyes and reached out and gently squeezed Severus’ arm. He was surprised and grateful when Severus reached over and squeezed his hand.

            “Well, at least you don’t have to go to any more Death Eater meetings,” Remus said, opening his eyes.

            Severus snorted. “No, but now I am no longer of any use to Dumbledore.” He frowned. “Has he noticed my absence?”

            Remus shook his head. “It was the weekend so you’ve not missed any of your classes, though we have to come up with an excuse for you to miss tomorrow’s classes.”

            Severus shook his head. “I will be fine to return in the morning.”

            Remus opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it when Severus glared. He sighed and gestured to the tray of food he’d placed on Severus’ lap. “You need to eat. From what Narcissa has said, you were unconscious for the past two days.”

            As Severus was rather hungry, he said nothing and picked up his fork. It was quiet while Severus ate. Severus noticed that Remus did not stop touching him. When he dropped his hand from Severus’ arm, he turned slightly so he could easily rest it on Severus’ leg.

            Just as Severus finished eating, the door swung open. The two men turned and saw Harry standing in the doorway looking pale. “What happened? Are you alright?” Harry rushed over to Severus’ bedside and looked him over.

            Severus was surprised and pleased that Harry seemed so worried for him. “The Dark Lord has discovered I am a spy.”

            Harry paled even more and looked at Remus.

            “He will be fine,” Remus said softly.

            Harry nodded and dropped into the chair beside the bed. It was quiet for a bit and then Harry looked at Severus and asked, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

            Severus nodded. “I’m fine.”

            Harry nodded. It was quiet for a long time as Harry felt the fear and panic slowly fade. He stared at Snape, taking in the fact that he was alive. Then something occurred to him and suddenly he sat forward and frowned. “We need to have another meeting soon. The other Death Eaters are going to be running scared. We don’t want to give them time to get worked up over this and back out of helping us.”

            “And we need to keep the Headmaster from discovering Severus has been found out,” Remus said.

            “Perhaps we should let everyone think he’s dead,” Harry suggested. “Then Voldemort and Dumbledore won’t have any reason to-”

            “No,” Severus said firmly.

            “You may wish to consider it, Severus,” Lucius said, coming into the room. “I have been thinking about that last meeting. The Dark Lord did have one thing right. Dumbledore is ruining too many of his plans to not have a spy. But if you are not giving him the information-”

            “Who is,” Severus finished grimly.

            Lucius nodded. “He may already know you’ve been discovered.”

            Silence settled over the group again as each man became lost in his thoughts.

            “I need to be at Hogwarts to get the timing right for starting the battle,” Severus said, frustrated. “I only needed a little more time.”

            “Well,” Harry said thoughtfully, “If Dumbledore does really have another spy, why would he have been using you all this time? It might just be that because he had a hand in turning Voldemort into what he is that he’s managed to figure out some of the things Voldemort is doing.”

            “Can we afford to take that risk?” Lucius asked.

            “We will have to,” Severus said. “I need to be at Hogwarts to determine the timing for the attack. If nothing else, right now he needs me to keep Remus distracted.”

            “What?” Remus asked looking at Severus.

            Severus snorted. “He does not want you involved in the search for Harry and he asked me to keep you distracted.”

            Harry rolled his eyes. “He’s probably worried that if you are there when I’m ‘rescued’ I’ll latch onto you and not one of his sycophants or paid helpers,” he said in disgust. He sighed and shook his head. “Well, I need to go talk to Victoria about setting up that meeting.”

            “And if you are returning to Hogwarts in the morning,” Remus said firmly as he removed the tray from Severus’ lap, “then you need to get some sleep.”

            Severus scowled at him. “I have been sleeping for two days.”

            “No, you’ve been unconscious for two days,” Remus replied. “Narcissa said what you needed most right now was sleep.” He gave Severus a determined look.

            “I’ll leave you to get your sleep then,” Harry said as he stood. “Narcissa really does know what she’s talking about.” He hesitated for a moment and then sighed and left.

            “I’ll walk you down,” Lucius said smoothly, following Harry.

            Severus ignored Lucius and continued to glare at Remus. “I’m getting a shower.”

            Remus opened his mouth to argue, but closed it with a frown. Then he nodded. “A quick one, though. You really do need to rest, Severus. Especially if you are going to be dealing with ‘idiot students’ in the morning.”

            Severus snorted and climbed out of bed. After his shower, he came out to find Remus making the bed. “What are you doing?”

            “I thought after a nice shower you might want to sleep on clean sheets so I had the house-elves bring some up,” Remus said. When he was done straightening the blanket, he stepped back.

            Severus shook his head and tossed his towel into the bathroom. He noticed the quick, heated glance Remus gave him before he looked away. Severus smirked and climbed into bed. He frowned when he noticed Remus sitting in the chair next to his bed. “What are you doing now?”

            Remus frowned at him. “I’m not leaving until you do.”

            Severus glared. “And you thought the chair would be more comfortable?”

            Remus continued to frown. “Severus, you are injured and-”

            “I’m fine,” Severus said testily. “Now get in bed.”

            Remus looked at him a moment and then walked around to the other side of the bed. He stripped down to his trousers and climbed into bed next to Severus. As soon as he was in bed, Severus reached over and started pulling his trousers off.

            “Severus!” Remus said, frowning at him and grabbing his hands.

            “I’m not getting chafed because you wore these to bed,” Severus said and continued pulling the trousers off. Remus sighed and let Severus strip him to his skin.

            Once the offending garments had been removed, Severus draped himself over Remus and went right to sleep. Remus sighed again and wrapped his arms around Severus and slowly drifted off.

***************************************

            Severus glared around his living room in annoyance. It had been two nights since he’d returned to Hogwarts and Remus was still treating him like he was going to collapse at any moment. Severus admitted to himself that he was more tired than he’d expected to be, but it certainly wasn’t from lack of sleep. Severus snorted. Remus was in his bed every night as usual, but he refused to do anything but sleep.

            Severus turned his glare on Remus when he walked in from Severus’ office.

            “Severus?” Remus asked with a frown.

            “Tell me, Remus,” Severus said silkily. “If I needed something, you would give it to me, would you not?”

            Remus’ eyes widened. “Of course.”

            Severus frowned and turned towards the hallway leading away from the living room. “I’m not certain you mean that.”

            Remus was stunned. “What?” He quickly followed after Severus. “How can you say that?”

            Remus followed Severus into the bedroom and suddenly found himself landing on his back in the middle of the bed with Severus kneeling over him. He blinked up at Severus in surprise.

            “So you will give me what I want?” Severus asked, slowly moving his hands up Remus’ thighs.

            “Severus,” Remus said, licking his lips. “We shouldn’t. You need your rest.”

            “I have been resting,” Severus said, annoyed.

            His hands continued to stroke up Remus’ thighs. When he felt Remus’ erection under his hand, he squeezed. Remus moaned and closed his eyes. Severus smirked and leaned down and licked Remus’ neck. When Remus’ hands pushed into his hair Severus unbuttoned Remus’ trousers and pushed them down.

            Remus sighed and gave himself up to the pleasure Severus was giving him. He knew he should probably insist Severus rest, but how could he resist a man he’d always wanted and thought he could never have? Especially after nearly losing him.

            Suddenly, it wasn’t enough to let Severus have what he wanted. Remus pulled Severus’ mouth up to his and kissed him fiercely as he rolled over and pinned Severus under him. He started pulling roughly at Severus’ clothes.

            Remus was suddenly desperate to be inside Severus, to know, to feel that his lover was alive in the most basic way he knew how. From the satisfied expression on Severus’ face, he wasn’t going to object.

            It was everything Severus was hoping it would be. Remus was demanding and a little rough, even holding Severus down. Every touch, every kiss felt like Remus was trying to stake his claim, trying to brand Severus as his.

            Afterwards, Severus yawned as he basked in the afterglow, drifting in a haze of satisfaction. He was exhausted and left the cleaning charms to Remus. As soon as Remus replaced his wand on the nightstand, Severus pressed close and threw an arm over Remus’ waist and drifted off to sleep.

            Severus woke hours later to see Remus frowning down at him. Severus’ frown disappeared into a yawn. Remus was hardly ever awake before him and Severus was surprised to still feel completely exhausted.

            “Severus, perhaps we should not have-” Remus said in concern.

            Severus glared. “Are you saying you were unsatisfied last night?” he asked dangerously.

            Remus’ frown deepened. “Of course not! But you are usually awake before I am and you look like you haven’t slept in days! I think maybe we should have waited and let you heal a little more before we-”

            “I assure you, Remus, I could not have waited any longer,” Severus said, leaning over and silencing Remus with a kiss.

            Surprisingly, the kiss was tender and persuasive and Remus lost himself in it. He pulled away reluctantly when the kiss ended. “We need to get up or we are going to be late.”

            Severus frowned and checked the time. His frown turned into a scowl. He never slept this late, not even after a bad night at the Dark Lord’s hands.

*********************************

            That afternoon Severus staggered into his bedroom and dropped down onto his bed. He had a free period before lunch now that NEWTs were over and he’d planned to catch up on his grading, but he was so exhausted. He didn’t even bother to remove his shoes, he fell asleep still fully clothed, lying only partially on the bed.

            That was how Remus found him halfway through lunch. He’d gotten worried when Severus hadn’t show up. Fortunately, the Headmaster had not been at lunch. Remus left as soon as it became apparent Severus was not merely late, but was not going to show up.

            He looked down at Severus with concern. Even in sleep, Severus looked exhausted. There were dark circles under his eyes and little lines creasing his forehead as if he were in pain. Remus sat on the bed beside Severus and gently pushed a lock of hair out of Severus’ face. Severus didn’t even stir.

            Remus hesitated. As much as he wanted Severus to get the sleep he obviously needed, he didn’t want Severus missing a meal. With a sigh, he gently shook Severus shoulder. Severus turned his head and blinked blearily up at him.

            “You missed lunch, Severus. I brought you something, but you need to get up if you want to make it to your next class.” Remus watched as Severus frowned and sat up.

            Severus ran a hand over his face and tried to wake up. He couldn’t believe he had slept so long.

            “Come on, Severus,” Remus said, pulling gently on his arm.

            Severus shook his head and took a deep breath, pulling on reserves he often accessed after a particularly bad meeting with the Dark Lord. Following after Remus, he collapsed on his sofa and managed to eat some of the meal Remus had brought him.

            “Is that all you are going to eat?” Remus asked, his concern spiking at Severus’ lack of appetite. Severus had eaten less than half of the small meal Remus had managed to bring down to the dungeons.

            Severus ran a hand over his face again. “I’ll be fine,” he muttered. He leaned over and kissed Remus and then stood. “I need to get some grading done before my next class.”

            Remus followed Severus into his office. He frowned as he watched Severus take a potion out of his desk and drink it. Almost immediately some of the exhaustion left Severus’ face. “Severus, I don’t think that will work for long. Something is wrong.”

            Severus sighed and pulled Remus into his arms. His exhaustion was fading away, replaced by the temporary burst of energy his potion provided. “I’ll be fine,” he insisted. He pressed a kiss to Remus’ lips to stop the argument he knew was coming. When their lips touched, Severus couldn’t stop himself from deepening the kiss. Passion flared and his blood heated.

            With a quick flick of his wand, Severus cleared his desk. He pushed Remus down on the desk and kissed down the side of his neck.

            “Severus, we shouldn’t,” Remus moaned. He pushed his hands into Severus hair and tried to pull him away, determined that Severus would not distract him from their discussion.

            “Oh, but we should,” Severus whispered into Remus ear in a dark, sensual tone that had Remus shivering under him.

            Remus moaned as Severus kissed him again. He knew he should stop, but he couldn’t resist the seductive kisses or the lust gleaming in Severus’ eyes. For so long he had dreamed of Severus looking at him like that, for years he’d ached. He couldn’t stop himself from giving in to the passion building between them.

            As soon as he felt the last of Remus’ resistance leave him, as soon as Remus went pliant in his arms, Severus quickly set about pushing their clothes out of the way. Making use of a salve from his desk, Severus soon had Remus writhing on his fingers. He devoured the sight of Remus’ head thrown back as he moaned at the pleasure Severus was giving him.

            “Severus,” Remus whispered. “Please!”

            Severus pulled his fingers free and eased his cock into Remus. He kept his thrusts slow, measured. When Remus began pulling on his shoulders and demanding he move faster, Severus leaned down and kissed him. Languid kisses meant to slow the pace. Determinedly, he drew the pleasure out. Caressing and stroking Remus’ body, Severus made love to him gently, leisurely.

            Harry only just managed to smother his gasp as he looked into Snape’s office. He stared, wide-eyed, for a moment before jerking his head back out of the office. His face felt like it was on fire as he flushed. When he heard Remy say ‘Severus’ in a breathy moan, Harry hurried back to the fire place and quickly Flooed back to Malfoy Manor.

            Stumbling out of the fireplace, Harry managed not to fall on his face. He was surprised to see Narcissa in the room, setting something down on Lucius’ desk. “Narcissa!” he said, relieved to see her.

            “Harry? Is everything alright?” Narcissa asked, a small frown of concern on her face.

            The scene he’d almost walked in on still burned into his mind, Harry walked over to Narcissa and threw his arms around her shoulders and pressed his face to her neck.

            Narcissa was startled, but pleased that Harry felt so comfortable being so familiar with her. “Harry? What’s wrong, dear?” She lifted her arms and gently stroked his back. She was concerned when Harry lifted his head and she saw the look of horror on his face.

            “I saw-” Harry stopped and swallowed. His face turned red. “I walked in on-”

            Narcissa frowned and tilted her head. “Harry?”

            Harry groaned and pressed his face to her neck again. “No one should ever have to see their parents having sex!” Harry half mumbled, half wailed.

            Narcissa smothered her laughter, though she couldn’t suppress her smile. Given the state he was in, she doubted Harry even realized exactly what he had just said. She patted his back. “You poor thing,” she said sympathetically. “Why don’t you come to the kitchen? I’ll make you a nice calming cup of tea.”

            Back in Severus’ office, Severus collapsed on top of Remus, both panting and spent. Severus pressed his face to Remus shoulder, dropping small kisses on the scars there. When he’d finally managed to catch his breath, Severus stood and stepped back. He just finished performing the cleaning spells when he suddenly felt another wave of exhaustion hit him. His legs gave out and he dropped into the chair behind his desk.

            “Severus?” Remus asked, voice filled with concern and an edge of fear. He sat up quickly and reached for Severus. “Damn it, Severus! I knew something was wrong! And don’t you dare tell me you’re fine!”

            Severus’ hand shook as he pushed his hair out of his face. No, he was not fine. He should not be feeling like this, especially not so soon after taking that potion. “I’ll go see Narcissa tonight after dinner.”

            Remus frowned. He didn’t want to wait that long, but he knew they needed to be careful. Cold fear was seeping into him at the exhaustion on Severus’ face. This was more than just too much activity so soon after being seriously injured.


	42. Looking for Answers

            Severus stepped from the fireplace into the study at Malfoy Manor with Remus right behind him.

            “Severus? You’re early,” Lucius said with a frown as he looked up from the papers on his desk.

            “Early?” Severus asked with a frown.

            Lucius’ eyebrows rose. “For the meeting tonight? I thought Harry stopped by earlier and told you.”

            “I have not seen him. When was he supposed to have-?” Severus asked sharply.

            Lucius waved his hand. “He’s fine. He’s in the kitchen with Narcissa.”

            “Lucius,” Harry said, coming into the office. As soon as he saw Severus his eyes went wide and he turned to him. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

            “Actually, we’re here to see Narcissa,” Remus said.

            Severus shot him a glare. When Remus just turned a stubborn look on him, Severus scowled and turned back to Harry. “Lucius was just telling us you were supposed to come tell us of a meeting tonight?” He raised an eyebrow.

            Harry turned bright red and stuttered out, “Er, well, that is, I, uh, forgot! Right! I forgot. I’ll just go get Narcissa!”

            The three men watched, puzzled, as Harry hurried from the room. When he was gone, Lucius turned to Severus with a frown. “Severus? What’s wrong?” He’d noticed the exhaustion on Severus’ face, but had mostly attributed it to the presence of a certain Gryffindor in his friend’s bed.

            Severus sighed and scowled. “I am not certain. I was hoping Narcissa would be able to tell me-”

            “Severus? Harry said you needed me?” Narcissa interrupted as she came into the room, Harry following close behind. She blinked as she took in Severus’ appearance and then hurried over with a frown on her face. She stopped next to him and brought out her wand, performing several diagnostic spells as she continued to frown. Finally she lowered her wand.

            “Well?” Harry asked worriedly. “Is he going to be okay?”

            “What’s wrong?” Remus asked at the same time, in the same tone of voice.

            Severus’ brows rose at seeing Remus and Harry facing Narcissa with nearly identical expressions, a mixture of fear, worry and concern. Severus looked over at Lucius and saw him smirking, despite the gleam of worry in his eyes.

            “I’m not certain,” Narcissa said. “I can’t tell what’s wrong exactly, but you’re much weaker than you were when you left a few days ago and your magic levels are severely depleted. These readings I’m getting…” A deep frown came to her face. “I need to do some research. For now, you need to try to perform as few spells as possible and conserve your energy.” With that Narcissa turned and quickly left the room, heading for the library.

            Harry turned a worried look on Severus and Remus. “Do you think it’s possible the Headmaster has found out about Voldemort discovering you as a spy?”

            “Unlikely,” Severus said. “I’ve not seen him since that night. He would have had no opportunity to do anything to me, even if he had found out.”

            “What about Voldemort? Could it be something Voldemort did when he found out?” Harry asked.

            “Even more unlikely,” Lucius said. “I am familiar with all of the curses he used. While…unpleasant there were none that would have lingering effects like this.”

            “Do you think you could make a list of the curses he used? Perhaps there was something in the particular combination of curses,” Remus said with a thoughtful frown.

            “Make two,” Harry said. “Victoria has given me the run of the library at Zabini Estate. I might find something there.”

            Lucius raised a brow at the Gryffindors, but quickly wrote out a list of every spell he remembered the Dark Lord using. Severus scowled, but said nothing.

            As soon as Harry had his list in hand, he turned to Severus with a frown and said, “Don’t forget what Narcissa said. Don’t be too stubborn to get the rest you need.”

            Severus scowled at him, but Harry turned and left before he could reply.

            After Lucius handed him a list, Remus turned to Severus. He started to walk up to him, but stopped short with a quick look at Lucius. He turned back to Severus with a frown. He wanted to give Severus a kiss before leaving to help Narcissa, but he couldn’t do that with Lucius in the room. He settled for a heated look.

            “I’ll be in the library if you…” Remus trailed off and shot Lucius another quick glance before giving Severus another look and leaving the room.

            Lucius smirked at his best friend. “Your Gryffindors are worried about you.”

            Severus glared and settled into a chair in front of Lucius’ desk. He was still reeling from the knowledge that he was in a relationship rather then merely involved in an affair. Seeing both Remus and Harry so concerned for him was…Severus didn’t even know how to describe it. The only words that came to mind were too…mushy to possibly be applied to him.

            “Well, since you are here, there is something I’ve been wanting to discuss with you,” Lucius said.

            Severus raised a brow. He knew Lucius well enough to recognize that the man was uncomfortable with whatever topic he wanted to discuss. Given how close they were after their long friendship, there was little that would cause them discomfort to discuss with each other.

            “I’d thought to discuss the matter with Lupin,” Lucius began.

            Severus scowled. He did not like the idea of his friend speaking with his lover on a matter that would make Lucius uncomfortable to speak with Severus about. “And what matter might that be, Lucius?” Severus asked, his cool tone deceptively calm.

            “What I might tell Draco to expect on his wedding night. As I said, I had planned to ask Lupin what I might say of what happens between two men, but with your new experience in this area and your…‘affair’ with Lupin it seemed better to ask you.”

            Severus gave his friend a suspicious look at the way he said ‘affair.’ When Lucius only gave him a bland look in return, Severus let it go. He wasn’t ready to share the realization he’d come to just yet. Then he realized what Lucius was asking. His face lost all trace of emotion and he asked blankly, “You want me to tell you…?”

            “You were present for the talk Lupin gave Harry were you not? And now, with your own experiences…” Lucius shrugged.

            Severus sighed in resignation. Sitting back in his chair, he picked a point just over Lucius’ left shoulder to stare at as he began to repeat much of what Remus had told Harry during their little talk. His tone was cool and unaffected, even when he interjected a few things that came from his own experiences, though he did so without mentioning it was his experience he was drawing on.

            He ignored the slight scratching sounds of a quill on parchment coming from Lucius’ desk. When he was done talking, he waited for Lucius to finish writing, bracing himself for the questions he knew were coming. While he waited he briefly wondered what Narcissa would think if she were to come across the notes Lucius was taking.

            The sounds of writing stopped and Severus saw Lucius lower his quill. Lucius cleared his throat a couple times and Severus had to resist the urge to smirk. It was rare to see Lucius speechless.

            After several minutes of silence, Lucius stood and poured two glasses of brandy. He sat one on the desk in front of Severus and then sat behind the desk with his own. They were sipping their drinks in a silence that was just becoming comfortable when Harry ducked his head into the room.

            “Victoria wanted me to come back to remind you to bring Draco, Blaise, and Neville to the meeting tonight,” Harry said. Then he was gone again.

            Severus finished his brandy and stood. “I may as well go fetch them.” He smirked. “That way you can talk to Draco before the meeting.” Ignoring Lucius’ frosty glare, Severus went over to the fireplace and Flooed back to Hogwarts.

            Getting Draco and Blaise would be no problem. Getting to Longbottom, on the other hand, posed some difficulty. Then Severus remembered Remus saying Longbottom was sleeping in his office since Granger’s attack on Harry.

            When he received no answer after knocking on the door to Remus’ office, Severus used the password Remus had given him after Severus had given him the passwords to his office and private quarters. He stopped short when he found Longbottom’s wand pointed at him.

            Severus raised a brow and Neville lowered his wand with a blush. “Your presence is required at a meeting this evening.” Severus turned and waited for Longbottom to step into the hall before replacing the wards on the office door. Fortunately, Longbottom was still dressed so he didn’t have to wait on him.

            Severus had Longbottom wait in his office while he went to the Slytherin dorms. He returned shortly and the four Flooed to Malfoy Manor. As soon as they arrived, Draco turned to his father, still sitting at his desk in the study.

            “Where’s Harry?” he demanded impatiently. He missed Harry. He’d gotten so used to having Harry in bed with him that in the two weeks since NEWTs he’d slept hardly at all and when he did sleep it was fitfully.

            “At Zabini Estate,” Severus said.

            When Draco turned back to the fireplace to Floo to Zabini Estate, Lucius said, “You can see him later. I wanted to speak to you, Draco.”

            Draco looked at his father in disbelief, but his father looked completely serious. Draco glared and sat on the edge of one of the chairs in front of his father’s desk. He gave him an impatient look.

            “I believe I will help Narcissa and Remus,” Severus said smoothly. With a look from him, Longbottom hurried from the room as well.

            Blaise, who had been standing stiffly and avoiding looking at Neville, hurried after him with a frown. Neville had been avoiding him since NEWTs were over. Well, if he wanted to break up with him, Blaise would make him say so. He was a Gryffindor. He should have enough courage to break up with him rather than just suddenly start ignoring him and hope he got the hint.

            “Neville!” Blaise called as he followed him down a hallway. He watched Neville turn with obvious reluctance and Blaise put a cold mask on his face.

            “Blaise,” Neville said. He shifted uneasily.

            Blaise walked up to Neville and he crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s all you have to say?” When Neville bit his lip and looked down, Blaise swallowed and pushed away the pain. “Go ahead and tell me, Neville,” he said coldly.

            “Look, Blaise, I’m sorry!” Neville said, looking at Blaise pleadingly. “I told Harry I wouldn’t say anything to you!”

            Blaise felt another spike of pain in his heart. He’d thought Harry was his friend. “Harry told you not to tell me you wanted to break up?”

            Neville look like Blaise had slapped him. “What? Why would you think I want to break up with you?! Blaise, I love you!” Neville gasped and slapped a hand over his mouth. As close as they’d become, they had yet to use the word ‘love.’

            Blaise dropped his arms and stared at Neville with wide eyes. “You do? Then why have you been avoiding me? You refused to even look at me, Neville!”

            Neville dropped his hand from his mouth. “You thought I was avoiding you because I wanted to break up? Blaise, I-” He stopped and bit his lip. Then he groaned in frustration. “I was avoiding you and Draco because I was afraid I’d slip and tell you…and Harry asked me not to say anything.”

            “Why not?” Blaise frowned and then a look of realization came to his face. “What happened to Harry?”

            “He asked me not to tell you,” Neville repeated. But the grim look on his face told Blaise it was something horrible. “I’d suggest you and Draco ask him, but I don’t think he’s going to tell you. At least not before we leave Hogwarts for good.”

            “I’ll have to talk to Draco. He’s definitely not going to be happy. He’s missed Harry and he’s gotten rather…short tempered since Harry left,” Blaise said grimly.

            Neville nodded. Then he hesitantly, softly asked, “Blaise? Did you really think I didn’t want to be with you anymore?”

            “I didn’t know what else to think, Nev. I couldn’t figure out what I’d done to make you avoid me,” Blaise said. After a short pause he asked, “Do you really…?”

            Neville blushed but looked at Blaise. “Yes, Blaise. I love you.”

            Blaise swallowed. “I love you too, Neville.” He reached out and pulled Neville into his arms and kissed him.

            The kiss started off sweet, tender and desperate. Some of the pain and fear Blaise had been feeling the past two weeks transmitted itself to Neville through the kiss. Neville held Blaise tighter, kissed him more passionately.

            When the kiss ended, they were both panting. Blaise looked at Neville and knew he needed Neville more than his next breath. He looked around and pulled Neville towards a door just down the hall. He opened the door and kissed Neville as he pushed him into the room. When the door shut behind them he pulled away just long enough to ward the door.

            They were in one of the many sitting rooms at Malfoy Manor. Blaise was grateful he’d been in this one before and remembered where it was. It wasn’t very big, but it was cozy and against one wall was a large daybed, perfect for what he had in mind.

            Blaise pulled Neville back into his arms and kissed him again and again as he guided him towards the bed. Their hands roamed and clothes started falling to the floor as they crossed the room. They stumbled as they kicked off their shoes, but they didn’t let go of each other. They were wearing only their trousers by the time Blaise pushed Neville down on the bed and then lowered himself onto him, hands caressing and lips brushing against bare skin.

            Neville moaned as Blaise’s weight pressed him into the bed, their chests pressed together. His hands slid up and down Blaise’s back slowly and he spread his legs, moaning again when Blaise settled between them. Neville gasped when Blaise moved sensuously against him, their chests and erections rubbing.

            Blaise groaned when he rubbed against Neville again, feeling Neville’s hard cock pressing up against him. He was tempted to reach down and push the rest of their clothes off, but he wanted to take this slow and he didn’t think he’d last if he had Neville naked under him.

            Blaise continued to caress and kiss Neville’s skin, loving the sounds Neville was making under him. Neville returned the pleasure, stroking his hands up and down Blaise’s back, kissing and nibbling on Blaise’s shoulders, neck and ears.

            Despite Blaise’s intentions, slow, leisurely love making wasn’t possible. Both were too frantic and too needy to go slow. Blaise groaned with frustration as he pulled back from a drugging kiss. He’d wanted their first time together after admitting their love to be a slow, passionate experience. He wanted it to be perfect for Neville.

            “Blaise,” Neville moaned, frustration and need clear. “Please!”

            Giving up on taking it slow, Blaise bent his head and crushed his mouth to Neville’s as he pushed at the rest of their clothes. Suddenly he stopped and broke the kiss. He pressed his forehead to Neville’s and breathed deeply.

            “Blaise!” Neville moaned again. He wiggled under Blaise, trying to encourage him to move, to kiss him, to do _something_!

            “No lube,” Blaise groaned.

            “What?” Neville asked desperately.

            “No lube,” Blaise repeated. He took a deep breath, trying to will away the ache, the need to be inside Neville.

            “Blaise, we-” Neville began with a moan, then he broke off and frantically pushed his hand between them. After a moment’s struggle he managed to shove his hand into the pocket on his pants, which Blaise had just begun to pull down when he made his realization. With a triumphant sound he pulled a tube of lube from his pocket.

            Blaise frowned. “Why are you carrying lube around?”

            Neville blushed. “I’m not. I was-I just…” He blushed harder. “Let’s just say, if Professor Snape had walked in a moment earlier or hadn’t thought to knock first…I’d have only been more embarrassed the time he walked in on us together.”

            Blaise’s eyes widened and then he chuckled. He grabbed the tube from Neville’s hand and leaned down and kissed him. A few moments of fumbling left them both naked and they both groaned as they pressed together with no clothes between them.

            Blaise quickly prepared Neville and impatiently pulled his fingers free and then started to push his cock into Neville. Neville inhaled sharply and Blaise paused. Holding Neville’s gaze with his own, Blaise slowly pushed inside. When he was as deep as he could go, he stopped to savor the feeling of being so connected to Neville. Gazes locked, the moment felt endless.

            Then Blaise pulled back and Neville’s eyes drifted close in pleasure. Neville moaned as Blaise slowly pushed back in. He wrapped his legs around Blaise’s waist and lifted his hips to meet Blaise’s thrusts. Blaise reached down and gripped Neville’s hips. He trailed kisses down the side of Neville’s neck, nipping slightly when he felt Neville’s hand in his hair.

            “Blaise,” Neville breathed, arching into his thrusts.

            At the sound of his name, Blaise couldn’t hold back any longer. “I love you,” he whispered, his lips brushing against Neville’s skin. “I love you. I love you. I love you.” Each whispered declaration was echoed by a hard, deep thrust.

            Neville felt tears well up. He held Blaise tighter, his hands clenched in the silky strands of Blaise’s hair and his legs tightened around his waist.

            They moved together and the heat built. Their sweat slick chests brushed as Blaise thrust faster. Suddenly, Neville cried out in pleasure, his back arching and his body tightening around Blaise as he came. Feeling Neville’s body squeeze him, feeling him tremble under him, was all it took to push Blaise over the edge as well. He gave a hoarse shout and pushed deep into Neville as he came.

            What little breath Neville could pull into his lungs left as Blaise collapsed on to him. He said nothing as they lay there panting, merely lifted a hand and stroked it through Blaise’s hair. When they’d mostly caught their breath, Blaise leaned up on his elbows and looked down at Neville, drawing one finger down Neville’s cheek.

            Neville looked into Blaise’s eyes. “I really do love you, Blaise.”

*************************************

            Draco fled his father’s study with a new understanding of the horror Harry had felt at being on the receiving end of a similar talk from Professor Snape. Before he could find another fireplace to Floo to Blaise’s house to see Harry, he heard voices coming from the hallway to his left.

            “Blaise, I don’t think you should say anything.” Neville’s voice was filled with concern and worry.

            “Nev, if Draco found out I knew something happened to Harry and I never said anything to him-”

            Draco scowled fiercely. _Something had happened to Harry?!_

            “I know, I know, but it’s not like _you_ know what happened and I promised Harry I wouldn’t say anything.”

            Before Draco could find out anything more, his father came out of his study. Lucius raised an eyebrow at his son. “Draco. Our guests should be arriving soon. You will have to wait to speak with Harry after the meeting.”

            Before Draco could protest or demand to know what had happened to Harry, his mother came out of the library and voices started spilling out of the opened door to one of the conference rooms. Knowing he would see Harry at the meeting, Draco glared in the direction Neville and Blaise’s voices had come from and then stormed off to the conference room where the meeting was being held.


	43. More Plans

            Harry arrived at Malfoy Manor with Fred and George. He was worried about the upcoming meeting and about what was going on with Snape, but at the moment he was practically vibrating with excitement at the prospect of seeing Draco again. He looked around the entrance hall, half expecting Draco to be waiting for him.

            Moments later Victoria Zabini arrived with Arthur, Bill and Charlie. Harry was briefly surprised. Victoria was supposed to give the Weasley men the portkey and then Apparate back to the Manor. It was a bit of a tight fit getting four people around the battered playing card used as a portkey, especially when two of the four were as broad shouldered and muscular as Charlie and Bill, but when Victoria immediately turned to Arthur and began talking with him, obviously continuing a conversation paused for the travel, Harry shrugged it off and went back to looking around for Draco.

            “Hey, Harry. How are you doing?” Charlie asked, looking at Harry curiously.

            “Fine,” Harry said distractedly. He kept looking around and not seeing anyone at all, he grabbed the arm of the nearest Weasley, Fred, and started pulling him down one of the hallways.

            Fred and George snickered and shared a look.

            “Looking for someone, Harry?” George asked with a grin.

            “I think Harry’s missing a certain blond Slytherin,” Fred teased.

            Harry turned to Fred and stuck his tongue out. Just for good measure Harry turned and stuck his tongue out at George too.

            “What?” Bill and Charlie asked together. They looked at Harry in surprise and Harry blushed.

            “Uh, we should probably-uh, the meeting is this way,” Harry said, pulling harder on Fred’s arm dragging him down the hall after Arthur and Victoria, his face bright red.

            Just as they neared the end of the hallway a loud popping sound came from behind them. Harry turned and blushed brighter. He had completely forgotten they were supposed to wait for Professor McGonagall to arrive with the others so they could face the Death Eaters as a united front. Not that Harry felt it was really necessary, but he knew the Order members would feel better that way. Harry waited for the others to catch up and then continued dragging Fred down the hall.

            As they reached the open door to the conference room Harry could hear raised voices. He sighed as he pulled Fred to the door. Before trying to deal with the upset Death Eaters, Harry looked around for Draco and he grinned when he finally saw him standing next to his father. Harry watched as relief and happiness briefly crossed Draco’s face before the smile he started to give Harry disappeared into a glare as Fred and George each wrapped their arms around Harry.

            “And what is this?” an exasperated voice called out as Harry and the others filed in.

            Harry looked at the man who spoke. “I told you I had already recruited some of Dumbledore’s people.”

            As the Order members tentatively sat down at the conference table with the Death Eaters, another man frowned and asked, “Is this all of them?”

            Harry shrugged. “I don’t really need any more. I have his second in command,” Harry gestured to McGonagall, “and his Ministry connection,” he waved at Shacklebolt, “and some of his strongest supporters.” Harry waved at the Weasleys. “Dumbledore has already conditioned his allies to follow along blindly. They’ll continue to do so when he’s gone. And who do you think they are going to look to?”

            After a moment, the man nodded though he continued to frown.

            “Severus,” Daphne Greengrass’ mother said. “I’m pleased to see you are still alive.”

            Harry looked over his shoulder as Snape, Remus and Narcissa came into the room.

            “What?” McGonagall said. She gave Severus a stern look.

            “Actually, I think that’s a good place to start,” Harry said.

            “The Dark Lord is furious. He thinks Severus is dead, but Dumbledore has gotten in the way of yet another of his plans,” a woman said.

            “Obviously Severus isn’t telling Dumbledore of these plans, but the Dark Lord is right about one thing. Someone must be telling Dumbledore about his plans. He’s known too much,” Lucius said with a frown.

            “I may have the answer to that,” a man said. Avery, Harry realized. One of the men without children. Avery sat back in his chair and continued. “The night after Severus was tortured and thought to have been killed, I came across an unusual sight. The mousy little man that is always at the Dark Lord’s side-”

            “Pettigrew,” Lucius said with a disdainful sniff.

            Avery nodded. “He was standing in a hall off the main room of the Dark Lord’s manor talking to himself. Not only that, but he would often repeat himself and at times it appeared that he was arguing with himself. ‘Yes, master’ one moment and ‘no, I won’t do it’ the next.”

            “Yes, I remember seeing something similar myself once,” another man said. “I’d wondered if constantly being at the Dark Lord’s side had begun to affect his sanity. Or perhaps he was indulging in substances best avoided given the vacant stare and the drooling.” The man wrinkled his nose.

            “Signs of repeated memory modification and prolonged use of the Imperius curse,” Victoria said with a frown.

            Avery nodded. “So I thought as well. I didn’t have the time to be completely certain, but to be on the safe side I used a few old tricks. He won’t be able to tell anyone about Severus being discovered as a spy-not under Imperius or even Veritaserum. He won’t even be able to give away the information if someone were to use _Legilimens_ on him.”

            “Pettigrew.” Severus shook his head. “The perfect choice for a spy. He is constantly with the Dark Lord, waiting on him hand and foot. He could easily listen in on every plan the Dark Lord has, even the ones he only talks to himself about and no one would ever suspect him. Everyone ignores and overlooks the little coward.”

            “This is all well and good, and I’m glad you’re still alive, Severus, but your little close call has only emphasized what a perilous position we are in. I’m sure I’m not the only one to have thought you were too valuable to the Dark Lord for him to ever go so far as to kill you. But if he is willing to kill his Potions Master, then anyone of us could be next. I was never under the impression that I was safe from his rage, but I was quite careful to remain unimportant enough to be singled out and now here I am, deliberately plotting against him and for what! So that I can sit around a table with a handful of Dumbledore’s allies and complain about how much we hate our respective masters?!

            “Even with our combined numbers here, both men still have many times over the number of loyal followers, not even mentioning all those the Dark Lord has recruited from certain magical sub-cultures-the vampires and werewolves and such! You said we’d be rid of them both and I’ve yet to hear any suggestions of how you plan to go about that! Are we simply going to point the two men at each other and hide while they try to kill each other?”

            Harry looked at the slim man standing at the other end of the table red-faced and out of breath from his little rant. Harry only knew one other person who could work themselves up like that. “You’re Theo’s dad aren’t you?” While the man frowned, not certain what Harry was implying with that tone of voice, Harry continued. “Okay, you have some valid concerns, but most of them I’d already planned to address tonight. In fact, we’ve already set in motion a plan that will allow us to greatly decrease the number of loyal followers Voldemort has and rid us of Dumbledore in a way that will allow me to take control of his entire network of allies. And I have a plan for recruiting many more of Voldemort’s allies that I wanted to discuss with you.”

            Harry’s last sentence was almost drown out in the shock gasps and demands for more information about this plan Harry had set in motion. Harry frowned around the table until it quieted down some.

            When it was almost silent once more, Avery asked with a frown, “And what have you done, Potter? What plan have you set in motion without telling us?”

            With a dark grin, Harry said, “I’ve poisoned Dumbledore.” He folded his arms across his chest and just continued to grin as the room erupted into chaos. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Snape give a heavy sigh and then shake his head slightly while Remus just gave Harry a small knowing smile. Harry gave them a slightly sheepish look before turning back to the noisy crowd in front of him.

            After several minutes of trying to get everyone’s attention, Harry grumbled and then started sending silencing spells and _Petrificus Totalus_ spells where he thought they would do the most good. After most of the people in the room had been silenced or frozen, Harry lowered his wand, once again the center of attention.

            “Wow, if you didn’t like that, I guess you really aren’t going to like the part where I get Voldemort to attack Hogwarts,” Harry said.

            “What!” McGonagall shot up from here chair, where she had been sitting in shock over Harry’s last announcement. “Harry Potter! What are you thinking?! Hogwarts is a safe haven for our students! The only place we can protect them from the war!”

            McGonagall’s ranting may have continued for some time if she had not been interrupted. “Mr. Potter.” Harry turned to Daphne Greengrass’ mother, surprised at how menacing and dangerous such a pretty, petite witch could seem. “I sent my daughter to Hogwarts to protect her. I let her go to that place, put her in the home of that bastard of a headmaster on the hope that she would be somewhat protected from this war. I will not allow you to endanger her or pull her into this war by leading some kind of student uprising and having our children fight our battles!”

            Harry shook his head and looked at her seriously. “I don’t intend any such thing. The battle won’t be random. The poison we gave Dumbledore will weaken him and allow us to use the battle to cover his…demise. But for that to work the battle must take place at a prearranged time which gives us time to plan carefully. The battle has to take place while there are students at Hogwarts or Voldemort won’t bother to attack, but there will be much too much going on for us to allow the students to run around freely. I don’t intend for any of the students to fight.”

            “What?” Draco, Blaise, Fred and George asked together.

            Harry turned to them and shook his head “We might have come up with a good idea of who we can trust, but we don’t want the student’s fighting. It’s a distraction we don’t need while we are trying to kill Dumbledore.”

            “And how are you planning to stop them, Harry?” Blaise asked. “You know how hard we’ve been working,” he nodded to the Death Eaters present, referring to their children, “the others aren’t going to like being left out.”

            Harry shook his head. “They won’t be. Just because I don’t want them fighting doesn’t mean they can’t help.” Blaise and Draco frowned at him. “Do you remember how you set up all of those meetings without the Death Eater wannabes finding out?”

            Draco rolled his eyes. “You want us to slip the entire student body Dreamless Sleep potions?” His eyes widened when Harry shrugged. “You can’t be serious!”

            “Can you think of a better way to protect the innocents or keep the supporters for both sides out of our way? There are too many unknowns among the students and we don’t have time to spend on them when we need to focus on bettering our side’s odds of surviving this war,” Harry said seriously.

            “Where are we going to get that much Dreamless Sleep potion?” Blaise muttered.

            Harry turned and smiled out over the assembled crowd. The various spells had been lifted and there were uneasy looks and muttering and grumbling.

            Severus stepped forward shaking his head. “Even if everyone present had the skill and, indeed, remembered how to make the potion, there still wouldn’t be enough time to make as many potions as you would need.”

            “But-” Fred and George said together with a grin, “You might not have to!”

            “One of our latest inventions is based off a muggle smoke bomb,” George said, still grinning.

            “If we could get the Dreamless Sleep potion into a vapor-like form…” Fred trailed off.

            Harry grinned. “Then we could just wait until most are in their dorms and toss a ‘sleep-bomb’ into each dorm.”

            “Excellent. So we have the children taken care of,” said one of the Death Eaters without children. “But how is your plan to get the Dark Lord to attack Hogwarts accomplish the other aims you claimed this plan would achieve?”

            “The battle will be chaotic. I’m going to use the cover of fighting to get rid of Dumbledore. At the same time, I need all of you to use the opportunity to deal with as many loyal followers as you can,” Harry said seriously, looking around the table.

            “And what about…the others?” One woman asked, with a quick look at Remus. “I mean, it’s bad enough you are asking us to stab our former schoolmates in the backs, deserved or not, but you don’t really expect us to go up against the…vampires and such.”

            Harry shook his head. “Actually, I have a plan to get some of them on our side as well.” There were raised brows all around the room. “However, I’m going to need…a liaison. Is there anyone among the so-called Dark Creatures that you think could speak for them as a whole? Or who might have the greatest influence over the most of his or her fellow ‘dark creatures’?”

            “You are going to have to talk with both the vampires and werewolves,” Avery said with a frown. “They make up the largest percentage of the ‘dark creatures’ allied with the Dark Lord. I think if you could persuade the vampire lord to your side he would be willing to speak with the others and I’ve heard he’s quite persuasive.”

            “I could perhaps arrange a meeting,” Daphne’s mother said, cheeks slightly pink. Harry’s brows rose at the chuckles and snickers from the Death Eaters, which quickly faded away under the pretty witch’s fierce glare.

            “The werewolves may be more difficult,” Avery continued. “Their loyalty is to Fenrir Greyback. Whatever cause he gives his support they will support as well. However, Greyback has little to do with us. He communicates almost exclusively with the Dark Lord and has little interaction with the rest of us.”

            Most eyes turned to Remus, who shifted uncomfortably under the weight of so many stares. Harry frowned fiercely and started to shake his head. There was no way he was going to ask Remus to approach the man who had attacked him and turned him into a werewolf.

            Remus smiled gently at Harry, despite the pain in his eyes. “It’s not a bad idea, Harry. And I forgave him long ago. I know what it’s like to have no control and little memory of the nights of the full moon. That he was most likely manipulated into attacking me only makes me more sympathetic to his situation. However, I doubt I could speak to him directly. I do know some of his packmates. I could speak to them and see if I can’t arrange a meeting or at least try to get a feel for how any offer you made might be taken.”

            “And what exactly is your plan for these allies of the Dark Lord, Harry?” Victoria asked Harry curiously.

            “I’m going to offer them the same thing Voldemort has, only at a much lower cost to their conscience,” Harry said.

            “You are going to let them attack and kill as they please?” One Death Eater asked incredulously.

            Harry shook his head angrily, but before he could say anything, Daphne Greengrass’ mother glared at the man and said, “Those so-called dark creatures are no more monsters than a witch or wizard is! The werewolves have no control over their change or their actions during a full moon. Did he not just say that?” She waved angrily in Remus’ direction. “And the vampires are not soulless killers! They don’t kill at all when they can help it!

            “They only kill because they are so hunted and persecuted that they don’t feed for fear of being caught and tortured to death by the supposed upholders of order and law! They don’t feed until pushed to the brink of starvation and then hunger clouds their mind, making it difficult for them to stop in time.”

            “And _that_ is precisely what I intend to offer them,” Harry said quietly. “Freedom from persecution, from systematic prejudice. I am offering them the same rights and freedoms as any witch or wizard.”

            “It’s a decent enough plan if it works,” Avery said after a short pause. “But you have less than two weeks to arrange for this battle.”

            “And how do you intend to get the Dark Lord to attack when you want?” Theo’s dad asked with a frown.

            Harry shrugged. “I’d planned to ask if one of you could use Imperius on one of Voldemort’s loyal followers and have him or her somehow convince Voldemort that Dumbledore’s defenses will be down or something,” Harry waved a hand, “whatever you think will work. After all, that will keep him from looking at any of you when it goes wrong and if he decides to kill whoever it is we’ll have one less loyal follower to worry about.”

            “Macnair,” Avery said with a cold, satisfied smile.

            Snape snorted. “Still after him, Eric?”

            “The man takes an unhealthy joy in his job,” Avery said flatly.

            “Macnair? The ministry’s executioner?” Kingsley asked with a deep frown.

            Daphne’s mother shuddered. “Nasty man. I still say he was the one who stole Mulciber’s toad in our third year. Poor thing showed up two days later _dissected_.”

            “Not only is he one of the Dark Lord’s favorites,” Lucius said thoughtfully, “But he works at the ministry. You could easily arrange for him to overhear a private conversation, perhaps between Kingsley and Arthur. Something along the lines of one of Arthur’s children sent him a disturbing letter about overhearing Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall discuss the inevitable falling of the wards at Hogwarts. Arthur could ask for Kingsley to have some of the Aurors on standby, prepared to go to Hogwarts at a moments notice should the Dark Lord find out about the weakness.”

            “Then we could have the two discuss at length the exact date and time of this failing, which will be reported back to the Dark Lord,” Avery said with a nod. He looked slightly disappointed. “It would certainly be easier to arrange than cursing him and then modifying his memory.”

            “And when exactly will this battle be?” Theo’s dad asked.

            “I will need to see the Headmaster again before I can be certain. I suspect it will be at least another week,” Severus said with a frown.

            “Which should just give us enough time for Mr. Potter to make his case to the vampire lord,” Daphne’s mother said as she stood. “I will let Victoria know as soon  as I have a time and date, Mr. Potter. Any objections to coming to my manor for the meeting?”

            Harry shook his head, then tilted it and looked at her curiously. “Will your husband mind?” From the way her fellow Death Eaters had reacted, Harry assumed there was some kind of relationship going on between the pretty witch and the vampire leader.

            “I am a widow, Mr. Potter. My husband might well turn over in his grave at the thought that I am planning to betray the Dark Lord, but I have to say the thought makes me smile. He was the one to drag me into this nightmare to begin with. I look forward to using his family home to plot his precious Dark Lord’s fall.” With that Daphne’s mother gave him a cool smile and Apparated away.

            As if that were the signal to end the meeting, the other Death Eaters began to Apparate away as well. Avery was the last to leave. He stayed seated, wearing a small frown, as each of the other Death Eaters left.

            “You are turning out to be quite a surprise, Mr. Potter,” Avery said. That said, he Apparated away.

            Harry smile slightly and shook his head and then turned to the Order members.

            “Mr. Potter,” McGonagall said frostily. “What do you mean, you’ve poisoned the Headmaster?”

            “I mean exactly that,” Harry said bluntly. “If we were talking about Voldemort, before you knew about Dumbledore, would you say anything? If it were Dumbledore’s suggestion for dealing with Voldemort, for the greater good of course, would you object?”

            McGonagall looked troubled and lowered her eyes. She said nothing in response to Harry’s questions.

            “So, Arthur and I are responsible for getting Voldemort to attack Hogwarts?” Kingsley asked in his deep voice.

            “Oh, it won’t be as difficult as it sounds,” Narcissa said. “Macnair is a sadist and he’s very good at sneaking around. I imagine he’s done any manner of horrible things and has yet to be caught. He’s quite confident in his ability to spy on people unnoticed. He won’t be at all suspicious at overhearing the conversation and will eagerly report back to the Dark Lord.”

            Slowly small groups formed as Fred and George talked with Severus and Lucius about the plans to develop a ‘sleep-bomb,’ Narcissa and Victoria talked with Arthur, Kingsley and Tonks about the plans to set up Macnair, and Bill and Charlie joined Remus, McGonagall and Madam Hooch in discussing the upcoming attack on Hogwarts.

            As soon as everyone was distracted, Harry felt a hand on his arm. He looked around and then eagerly followed along as Draco dragged him out of the room. They walked only a few steps before Draco opened a door and yanked Harry into a room. Draco spun around as soon as the door closed behind them and put his hands on his hips and glared at Harry. His glare melted into a distracted, hungry stare at the lustful gleam in Harry’s eyes.

            Harry barely noticed the small room they entered. All of his attention focused on Draco as he pulled his glasses off and tossed them on a small side table. He quickly changed to his natural form and pulled Draco into his arms.

            Harry groaned at the feel of having Draco in his arms and pressed up against him. “I’ve missed you so much, Draco,” Harry whispered as he dropped his head and crushed his lips to Draco’s.

            Draco’s only response was a whimper. He pressed closer to Harry and eagerly opened his mouth to Harry’s tongue. The kiss was desperate and ravenous. Their hands pulled at each other, their bodies pressed close. With another whimper Draco started writhing in Harry’s arms, rubbing his body against Harry’s.

            Harry pushed Draco and they stumbled a few steps until Draco’s back hit the wall. Their lips parted and they panted as their hands roamed, eager and demanding. Harry shoved his hands underneath Draco’s shirt to caress bare skin and he groaned at the feel of warm, soft skin under his palms. He started pressing kisses along Draco’s neck as he stroked Draco’s chest and stomach, reveling in the taste.

            Draco’s hands carded through Harry’s hair, loving the silky feel, and then one hand dropped to Harry’s waist. He stroked his fingers along the few inches of skin bared by Harry’s now ill-fitting clothes and then reached around and gripped Harry’s ass and pulled his hips tighter against his own. He gasped as their hard erections rubbed together through the layers of clothes.

            “What is going on here?”

            Harry’s and Draco’s head snapped around at the two voices, both cold and furious, and stared in horror at their fathers’ standing in the doorway.

            “Well,” Victoria said, looking around the two tall men. “If I’d ever wondered what it would have looked like to walk in on Severus and Lucius making out in a closet during our Hogwarts years, I guess I know now.” The four men turned to her, aghast. She laughed.

            “That’s just disgusting,” Harry muttered as he and Draco reluctantly pulled apart and straightened their clothes.

            “What’s disgusting?” Remus asked, coming up behind the Slytherins. “Oh dear,” he said, voice filled with amusement, as he caught sight of Harry and Draco.

            Harry huffed, changed back to his ‘Potter’ appearance and put his glasses back on. “Is everyone done with their conversations already?”

            “Some of us have to return to Hogwarts before we are missed,” Severus said coolly.

            “Already?” Harry asked, disappointed. “But I thought-I mean, no one’s really going to notice until morning. I was hoping, maybe, everyone could stay for at least the night.”

            “Harry, it’s almost morning already,” Remus said. “The meeting started pretty late, remember?”

            “Oh, that’s right,” Harry said with a sigh.

            “Well, before I go anywhere I want to know what happened to Harry,” Draco said angrily, crossing his arms over his chest.

            Harry winced and then turned to Draco. “What makes you think-?” At the look on Draco’s face Harry stopped and winced again. “Okay, something happened, but as you can see I’m fine now and I think we need to focus on the upcoming battle at Hogwarts before worrying about personal revenge.”

            Seeing the pout come to Draco’s lips, Harry sighed. “I’m going to tell you, Draco. Just not until after the battle at Hogwarts, okay? I want you focused on that. I don’t want anything to happen to you because you were worried about some stupid little thing that happened to me.”

            “Stupid?” Severus said, eyebrow raised.

            “Little?” Lucius said at the same time, with an identical look.

            “You’re not helping,” Harry hissed at the two men. He turned back to Draco and slipped his arms around Draco’s waist. “Draco, I’m fine now, I promise. And I’ll tell you all about it later, but right now I need your help with the plans we talked about tonight.” Harry nodded towards the conference room. Seeing Draco was going to continue to argue, Harry squeezed his waist gentle and said, “Please?”

            Draco huffed and then leaned in and kissed Harry. “Fine, but I want to know _everything_ the moment the battle’s over!” Besides, he could always pressure Neville to tell him what happened when they got back to Hogwarts.

            Harry didn’t really trust the look on Draco’s face, but since he seemed willing to drop the subject, Harry let it go. He leaned in and kissed Draco again. This time it was a slow, thorough kiss meant to last them until the next time they met.

            “Is Harry kissing a Malfoy?!”

            Harry jerked his head around at Charlie’s loud question and saw the Weasley men had joined the crowd at the door. Fred and George were grinning wildly while their brothers stared in shock. Arthur blinked rapidly and looked startled. Soon though, Bill’s shocked look melted into a teasing grin.

            Faced with three teasing Weasleys and Charlie’s baffled look, Harry cut in before anyone could say anything. “So, I guess the meeting’s over. I know there’s a lot to be done: create a sleep-bomb, set up Macnair, coordinate the attack on Hogwarts. But it’s late and I think it’s time for everyone to get some sleep and get a fresh start in the morning.” Harry kissed Draco quickly and then started pulling him towards the door.

            “And will you be sleeping alone tonight, Harry?” Bill asked, grinning.

            Harry flushed, but tried to keep a straight face. Draco glared and said, “If not, he’s certainly not sleeping with a Weasley!”

            “Draco!” Harry groaned. While Fred, Bill and George laughed, Harry shot a nervous look at Remus and Severus. The amusement in Remus eyes was a small relief, but the glare Severus gave him made him wince. Harry cleared his throat. “I will most definitely be going to sleep alone! And if you would all be off then I can do just that!”

            Victoria laughed, but helped Harry usher the others down the hall. Harry stopped in front of the door to Lucius’ study while Victoria took the Weasleys towards the entrance hall. Harry guessed the others had already left.

            Entering the study, they found Narcissa waiting for them. “Blaise and Mr. Longbottom have already left. They apologized for not saying goodbye, Harry, but they seemed to think it was best if they left,” Narcissa said, with a quick look at Draco.

            Draco glared, but Harry nodded. It was probably best they weren’t there for Draco to start interrogating. With one more quick kiss, Draco Flooed back to Hogwarts. Harry was slightly worried to see that determined glint in Draco’s eye again, but he trusted Neville to keep his promise.

            Turning at the soft sound of a door closing, Harry saw that Narcissa had dragged Lucius from the room, leaving Harry alone with Severus and Remus. Severus was still glaring at him, but Remus was smiling softly.

            “And was that ‘just cuddling,’ Harry?” Severus asked coolly.

            Harry gave him a wide-eyed innocent look. “No, that was making out. Nothing wrong with stealing a few kisses, is there?”

            Severus’ eyes narrowed as he looked at Harry suspiciously. There was something in the way Harry and Draco were groping each other in that room that made Severus think things would have gone much further than kisses if they hadn’t been interrupted.

            “Well, you still need to take it a little easy, Harry,” Remus cut in, hoping to avoid an argument. He reached out and pulled Harry into a hug.

            Harry hugged Remus tightly and when he pulled back, he was completely serious. “And you two need to be careful and take care of yourselves. I want you to be extra careful, Remy, when you go talk to those werewolves and I’m going to keep looking in the library at Zabini Estate to see if I can find anything to help...” He looked over at Severus, who nodded.

            Harry took a deep breath and reached out and pulled both men into a hug. “I’m serious. I…care about you both and I don’t want anything happening to either of you. So be careful and take care!” Harry squeezed and then stepped back quickly. He flushed at the shocked look on Severus’ face.

            Severus couldn’t believe Harry had actually hugged him. And to hear Harry say he cared about Severus as well as Remus…Severus had thought he’d have to wait years to hear such a thing, if ever.

            Harry cleared his throat and waved towards the fireplace. “Now go on. You both need your sleep.”


	44. Werewolves

            Remus hurried through the rain and the shadows of the night more worried about his lover than about what he was about to do himself. In the three days since the meeting, Severus had only continued to grow weaker. Even attempting the smallest spells caused a wave of fatigue to wash over him and he was sleeping much more than ever before. Even when he managed to sleep a full night, he woke up exhausted and he often had to use his free period to take a nap just to make it through his afternoon classes.

            Remus and Narcissa had continued to search for answers as to what was happening. Remus searched through the library at Hogwarts, ostensibly to search for a way to find Harry, and Narcissa searched the library at Malfoy Manor. Harry and Victoria were also searching through the library at Zabini Estate. So far, however, no one had any idea what was going on. Narcissa had tried a few more diagnostic spells she had discovered in her search, but the results were no help. They only told them what they already knew: Severus was getting weaker both physically and magically.

            Severus himself was leaving the issue in their hands, instead focusing on working with the Weasley twins on the so-called ‘sleep-bomb.’ Once the twins had explained to him the basics of a smoke bomb, Severus had realized they would not be able to use Dreamless Sleep potion as overdosing could be harmful, even deadly and the potion would actually be much more potent in a vapor form compared to the usual liquid potion.

            Severus had seemed happy to have a challenge, something to take his mind off his weakening magic. He worked to create a powerful sedative that could be inhaled and he’d seemed quite pleased that afternoon with what he’d accomplished. He told Remus he’d managed to create a mist that would quickly induce sleep but would also promote a sense of relaxation, peace and well-being that would ensure a lengthy sleep. Severus was certain he’d gotten the balance just right to prevent any kind of outside disturbance from rousing a person who’d inhaled the potion.

            Severus was with the Weasley twins at their shop ready to begin the first round of testing. Remus thought it best to slip away while the man was lost in his work. Severus might not be ready to admit to caring about Remus and he’d deny to his dying breath that he worried about him, but Remus had been pleased to see the worried looks Severus had given him on the few occasions they’d talked about Remus’ talking with the werewolves of Greyback’s pack. Severus might not be ready to admit it, but he did care about Remus at least somewhat.

            Reaching the dingy, gloomy pub he’d been heading for, Remus took a deep breath and pushed aside all thoughts of his lover. Right now he needed to focus. The werewolves of Greyback’s pack were more in tune with their wildness and could use their enhanced senses better than he could. Or at least, better than he used to be able to. He could only hope the merging with his wolf gave him some advantage over these men. Unfortunately, another effect of being so in tune with their inner wildness was a shorter temper and a tendency to impulsive acts and violence-the main reason Remus hadn’t joined when they first offered him a place in their pack. If they even suspected…

            After taking another deep breath and pulling his hood down further over his face, Remus went in to the pub.

************************************

            Severus frowned as he noticed Remus slip out of the room without a word. He knew the wolf was going to try to contact other werewolves tonight. He hadn’t said anything to Severus about his plans, but Severus knew. The fierce kiss before they’d Portkeyed to the Weasley twins’ shop and the nervousness he’d tried to hide since they arrived gave him away.

            Severus swallowed his worry and tried to focus on testing his newest creation. He had to trust the stubborn man to be careful and to come back to him safely. It’d been on the tip of his tongue to say those very words to the wolf, but he couldn’t help but remember how he’d ended up when Remus had sent him off with those words. Superstitious perhaps, but they already had too much working against them. Severus wasn’t going to tempt fate, not when he’d always had the worst luck to begin with.

************************************

            Remus was three pints in when the other werewolves finally arrived. He’d tried not to drink to quickly. No matter how much he wished he could indulge in a little liquid courage he couldn’t afford to get drunk.

            He stayed seated as the three men came in and he made no move to attract their attention. He never had before and he couldn’t afford to act out of character now. As much as he wanted to talk to them, it wasn’t like him to draw their attention.

            He’d worked his way through another pint by the time the men began wandering their way over to his table. He stared down into his mug, giving no indication he’d noticed their presence.

            “Well, well. If it isn’t _Remus_. Where have you been hiding yourself, _Professor_?” asked one of the men, a thin man with dirty blond hair and a look of resentment and bitterness etched onto his face.

            “Campbell,” Remus said softly, not looking up from his mug. “I guess you’ve heard I’ve been allowed to return to Hogwarts?”

            “Back to licking that bastard’s boots,” Campbell hissed.

            “Back to having a roof over my head and the certainty of three meals each day,” Remus said, continuing to speak softly.

            “And how many times have we offered you the same?” a dark haired man asked. He was bigger than the other two men, and obviously in charge. His face was filled with a sorrowful resignation, a stark contrast to the anger and bitterness the other man exuded.

            “Elliott,” Remus said, looking up and nodding to the man. Remus had never been sure whether that was the man’s first name or last, but it seemed to be the only name anyone had for him.

            “I’ll ask you again, Remus. Join us,” Elliott said.

            Remus shook his head. “Join you in being hunted? In being marked as a criminal? In risking being everything they make us out to be?”

            “How is that any different from the life you are living, Remus?” Elliot asked. “You live constantly with the worry that you’ll be discovered and thrown out of whatever shelter you’ve managed to find, if not chased out of town! How many times have you spent weeks, even months living on the streets, Remus? Performing parlor tricks for Muggles for money for food or on a good day one night with a roof over your head! We know, Remus. We’ve been there, done that.”

            “Or worse,” Lowen, the third man said. His eyes constantly scanned his surroundings and he always kept his back to a wall, never letting anyone get behind him. His eyes had a haunted look and his hand never strayed far from his wand.

            Remus felt a wave of sympathy for the man as he always did. Lowen had certainly had to do far worse and he had suffered greatly at the hands of a group of wizards who’d found him…doing what he had to do to survive. The men had laughed as they walked away from his broken body, certain they’d never be punished for their actions. They were right. Lowen’s hatred for the Ministry of Magic was well earned.

            Remus sighed and ran a hand over his face, feeling the old argument weigh heavily on him. “I don’t want to be a monster,” he said quietly. “I don’t want to be everything they call me, they accuse me of.”  
            “We are not monsters, Remus. We’re men. Cursed men, but still men,” Elliott said quietly.

            Remus looked at him doubtfully. “And yet you follow a man said to enjoy the terror and pain he causes so much he can change at will.”

            Elliott frowned as the other two men growled. “He’s nothing like that, Remus.”

            “Lies spread by the damn Ministry,” Lowen hissed.

            Remus just gave them another doubtful look and took a drink.

            Elliott looked at Remus thoughtfully. “Let us prove it to you. Come meet him.”

            “What?” Remus asked, shocked. He’d never thought it would be so easy to get an audience with Greyback. He hadn’t even begun to hint about what he wanted to discuss with the pack, hadn’t even begun to try to feel the men out on their personal stances on the war.

            “Come meet Greyback. Decide for yourself if he’s everything you’ve heard he is,” Elliott said.

            Remus shook his head and then hesitated. He thought he would have more time to prepare for such a meeting. No matter what he’d said to Harry, he was still terrified of the man who’d attacked him as a child. But he needed to do this for Harry. “When?” he asked, uncertainly.

            Elliott stared at Remus for a long moment. “Tonight,” he said suddenly, with a certainty that confused Remus.

            “Tonight?” he asked, surprised once more. How could Elliott arrange a meeting so soon? Remus had never really been certain of Elliott’s place in Greyback’s pack. He’d always been treated with respect by the other werewolves, but Elliott had a nurturing, caring nature at odds with his muscular appearance.

            Elliott nodded. “Tonight. No need to give you time to get worked up about it. Come on.”

            Remus hesitantly stood with the other men. Elliott tugged gently on his sleeve, pulling Remus out of the pub after him. Remus followed the three men down several dark, twisting alleys before Elliott came to a stop on the edge of a small square of dark shop fronts.

            “Wait here,” Elliott said. He motioned for Lowen to follow him and they disappeared down yet another dark alley, leaving Remus alone with Campbell. Remus suppressed a grimace. Campbell was one of a few men Remus had never been able to get along with.

            After several tense, silent minutes Remus heard a long loud howl. Having merged with his wolf, Remus knew that particular sound was a call, a summons. He suppressed the urge to change into his wolf and lend his voice to the call. Campbell looked at him suspiciously as Remus shivered.

            Several minutes more passed in silence and then Remus heard footsteps coming towards them. It was only his enhanced senses that let him make out the group of five men coming towards them.

            “Campbell,” one man called out in a rough voice. “What’s up with the call?”

            “Elliott wants the Professor here to meet Greyback,” Campbell sneered at Remus. Remus kept his focus on the five men that joined them. They seem agitated, like they were on edge or looking for a fight.

            “Really?” another man asked. He leaned close and very obviously sniffed Remus. Remus wrinkled his nose at the smell of alcohol that wafted towards him from the man. “And what’s the Professor doing out on a school night?”

            Remus stiffened. “Errands,” he said flatly.

            “In the middle of the night?” the first man asked.

            Campbell turned to him, suspicion in his eyes. “What kind of errands needs doing in a pub, _Professor_?”

            Remus glared around him, but he could feel the tension mounting. Before he could say something, one of the men stepped forward and punched him in the face. “We don’t much care for spies ‘round here,” the man spat as Remus fell back against the grimy alley wall.

            Before he could catch his breath or think of a way out of the situation, all of the men in the alley started beating him, including Campbell. Remus struggled to get through the mass of bodies surrounding him, hoping to get enough room to Apparate away, but he had to settle for wrapping his arms around his head to protect himself as best he could. Without warning one of his attackers struck out at his legs and he fell to the ground.

            Remus tried desperately to regain his feet. With six men kicking at him and punching him they could easily kill him. Remus kept his hands around his head, but he quickly gave up trying to rise and curled into a ball, protecting himself as best he could. He gasped as a foot connected with his kidney. He flinched away from the second kick aimed at his kidney, but opened himself up to another man. He swallowed convulsively, trying not to vomit as he was kicked in the stomach.

            Remus had no idea how long the beating had gone on when he suddenly heard loud, threatening growling over the heavy pants of excitement and bloodlust from the men beating him. “What is going on here?” was bellowed out in a vaguely familiar voice. Remus felt the men attacking him pulled away from him, but before he could identify the person possessing that familiar voice, one of his attackers kicked him once more.

            The rush of pain was the last straw for Remus, he gave a choked groan and darkness rose up and dragged him under. He felt large, gentle hands on him and vaguely heard soothing murmurs in that familiar voice as he lost consciousness.

************************************

            Severus stumbled out of the fireplace and took a moment to steady himself. He was exhausted, but satisfied with the work he’d done. The potion he’d created was proven to be safe to inhale in large amounts and fairly easy to use in a smoke bomb format. He’d left the twins to figure out how to control the amount each bomb could give out and play around with a few variations on ‘detonating’ the bombs.

            As Severus dragged himself towards his bedroom, he scowled, realizing that Remus was not here. It was possible the man had returned to his own rooms, but as Remus had slept in Severus’ bed every night since they’d become lovers, Severus doubted that. Remus had said it was possible he could be gone all night and even into tomorrow afternoon depending on how his meeting went, but Severus wanted him home _now_.

            Severus groaned as he fell into bed. _Home. I’ve started thinking of my rooms as his home. What next?_ As he fell asleep, still fully clothed, Severus thought the bed felt cold and empty without Remus beside him.

************************************

            Remus groaned and tried to lift a hand to his aching head. A large, calloused hand gently grabbed his wrist and pushed it away.

            “Easy,” a gruff, deep voice said. Remus frowned. There was that familiar voice again. He couldn’t place it, but something about it made him feel safe and warm. “Don’t try to get up.”

            Remus snorted. “Yes, because the first thing I want to do after getting run over by the Knight Bus is get up and start dancing. Ooooh or maybe run a marathon. That sounds like fun, doesn’t it?”

            Remus heard a quiet chuckle from beside him. From across the room another familiar, amused voice said, “Well, who knew quiet Remus had such snark?”

            Remus grinned. “Sorry. I guess I’ve been spending too much time with-” Remus broke off with a soft gasp as he finally opened his eyes. He couldn’t stop the fear that moved through him and crossed his face as he found himself face to face with Fenrir Greyback. He jerked back, but then froze with an agonized groan as the quick movement made him aware of the pain in every part of his body and caused a sudden wave of nausea. He swallowed heavily and closed his eyes again.

            “Easy,” that gruff voice said again. Even through his pain, Remus could hear the sadness now filling the familiar voice.

            Remus breathed deeply for a few minutes and then risked opening his eyes again. This time he saw not only the large man kneeling by his bedside, but he also saw Elliott standing beside Greyback, leaning on his broad shoulder with one elbow.

            “Easy, Remus,” Elliott said. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

            Remus noticed that both men were looking at him with a deep sadness in their eyes and on their faces. He could somewhat believe Elliott felt that way. The man had always been kind and Remus had always detected a hint of fondness in the man’s reactions to him, a fondness Remus returned. But there had always been an undercurrent to Elliott’s every look and word that left Remus at a loss and with a certain amount of suspicion.

            After a moment, Remus admitted to himself he would wear the same expression Greyback was giving him if he had attacked a child when his wolf was in control. Seeing the genuine regret in the man’s eyes and remembering the flicker of anguish he’d seen on Greyback’s face when he’d flinched away, Remus could feel the last of his childhood fear slowly melting. He’d tried for years to stop being afraid of this man, but _seeing_ that the man truly did regret his actions helped Remus finally accomplish that goal.

            This man was nothing like the monster in his nightmares.

            “Here, Remus. Drink this. It will help with the pain,” Elliott said, holding out a potion vial. The sorrow on his face seemed to deepen when Remus hesitated.

            Slowly, looking between the two of them, Remus reached out and took the vial. With a wary look at them he sniffed the potion and then quickly swallowed it as he recognized the scent. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes again as he felt the liquid slide down his throat and spread soothing waves of warmth through his aching body.

            When he opened his eyes again, he saw Elliot and Greyback having some kind of silent conversation with intense looks, waving arms and a multitude of facial expressions. Remus watched curiously as they two men argued without saying a word. Finally, Elliott just pointed towards Remus and glared at Greyback. Greyback sighed heavily and Elliott swept from the room without another word.

            Greyback turned back towards Remus grumbling under his breath. He stopped short when he saw Remus looking at him curiously. He seemed uneasy being left alone with Remus and Remus felt a spike of sympathy for the huge man.

            Greyback cleared his throat and shifted uneasily. “You should lie down and try to get some rest. You’re safe here.”

            Remus frowned and shook his head slowly. “I can’t stay. I need to get back-”

            “You’re not going anywhere,” Greyback growled.

            Remus glared. “So I’m your prisoner then?”

            Greyback gave another growl. “No, but you aren’t in any shape to be going anywhere.”

            “I don’t have time to be lying around,” Remus said stubbornly and sat up. His head swam for a moment, but he pushed aside the sensation and swung his legs out of bed.

            “You lie back down this instant!” Greyback growled.

            Remus frowned, trying to figure out why that low, rumbling growl filled him with a sense of safety and warmth. _As it had when I first woke_ , he thought. Seeing the man glare at him, Remus glared back and pushed the thought aside to deal with later. “No,” he said succinctly. He pushed himself to his feet, swaying a bit.

            Greyback reached out to catch Remus if he fell, and then pulled his hand back as if afraid to touch him. When Remus continued to glare at him, Greyback growled again and stormed over to the door and flung it open.

            “Elliott!” he bellowed.

            Remus heard running and then Elliott came into sight. Remus was shocked at the look of fear and worry on his face as he came into view.

            “What? What is it? Is Remy ok?” Elliott quickly looked around Greyback’s bulk that was blocking the doorway. Remus watched Elliott breathe a sigh of relief as he caught sight of Remus and then turn to glare at Greyback.

            Greyback turned and jabbed a finger in Remus’ direction and bellowed, “Tell your stubborn son he isn’t going anywhere!”

            Remus gaped.

            Elliott looked outraged and he smacked Greyback on the chest. “What a _wonderful_ way to tell our son about us!” Elliot hissed so quietly Remus wouldn’t have heard him, even with his enhanced senses, if he hadn’t merged with his wolf. Elliot glared at Greyback, who suddenly grimaced and gave Elliott an apologetic look. Remus sunk down on the bed behind him.

            Suddenly, it was like a dam in his mind burst. Memories filled his mind in a chaotic whirl that was making him sick. He moaned in pain and reached up and cradled his head in his hands. One particular image stuck out clear and bright in the chaos.

            Remus was perhaps only three or four and he was running in a garden, laughing. He heard deep, masculine laughter from behind him and the sound of pounding feet. Suddenly he felt hands grab his waist and he was lifted high into the air, giggling and waving his arms.

            “Gotcha!” that deep, gruff voice said.

            Little Remus was turned around and he looked down into the laughing face of Fenrir Greyback. Over the man’s shoulder he saw Elliott standing in the open doorway of the front door of a little cottage. Little Remus waved at him.

            “Daddy, Daddy! Look how high I can go! Papa,” Little Remus grinned down at Greyback. “Papa, show Daddy how high you can hold me!”

            Greyback and little Remus grinned at each other, a conspiratorial grin, and then Greyback threw little Remus high into the air. Elliott gasped and came forward. “Fenrir, if you hurt one hair on our little boy’s head-!”

            Greyback caught Remus easily and then held him against his chest. “I would never!” he said, smiling at Elliott.

            “Yeah, Daddy, Papa would never drop me,” Remus said confidently, grinning up at Greyback and cuddling close when the big man hugged him.

            Pain and loss flooded Remus as the memory faded and a mixture of others pressed in on him. With a whimper of pain, both physical and mental, Remus lost consciousness again.

*************************************

            Lucius was surprised to return from a Death Eater meeting and find Severus sitting in his study. He was sure the man would be in bed with his Gryffindor at this hour. “Severus? What are you doing here?”

            “I’m here to do my duty of course,” Severus said and rose to pour himself another drink. “I’ve finally narrowed it down to an exact time and date for the attack on Hogwarts.”

            Lucius watched in surprise as his best friend returned to his seat. While the man’s words were cool and precise, he swayed as he walked. “Severus, surely this can wait until morning? Why don’t you go home and have your-and have Lupin…keep you company.”

            Severus scowled. “I assure you, Lucius, I would quite prefer to be in bed with Remus. However, there’s a slight problem with that.” He growled and suddenly threw his glass across the room.

            Lucius’ brows rose as he flicked his wand and repaired the glass. “Severus, I haven’t seen you this upset since Lily…” A sudden thought occurred to Lucius and he frowned. “Surely Lupin hasn’t left you? I was certain-”

            “He never came home,” Severus growled.

            “What? But he went to that meeting-”

            “Three days ago, yes, I know, Lucius.”

            Lucius picked up the repaired glass, keeping his eyes on his best friend. Severus showed no urgency over the impending attack, so there was still time to worry about that later. Perhaps now was the time to clear the air a bit. “So you’re this upset over Harry’s plans being endangered? You can’t really be so worried over someone you’re merely having a fling with.”

            Severus summoned the glass from Lucius’ hand and then the brandy decanter. “Does this look like a bloody fling, Lucius?” Severus asked in a dark, deadly voice.

            “Oh?” Lucius asked nonchalant.

            Severus tossed back another shot of brandy. “I’m in love with him,” he said, holding up the empty glass, keeping his gaze on it as he spoke. “I’m in love with him and the bloody bastard disappears on me like this!” Severus shouted and threw the glass again.

            Lucius watched with a brow raised as the glass sailed by him and shattered against the wall. He remembered similar abuse being heaped upon his glassware when Severus had ranted about Lily marrying Potter. Removing his heavy Death Eater robes, Lucius walked over to sit next to Severus. “Oh? So you are planning to keep him around for a bit then?”

            Severus glared at the annoying blond that called himself Severus’ friend. “I don’t know, Lucius,” Severus said with heavy sarcasm, “Do you intend to keep Narcissa around for a bit?”

            Lucius choked on the sip of brandy he’d just poured himself. “Wha-what? You-you are thinking of marriage?”

            Severus glared at Lucius and poured himself more brandy after summoning another glass. He’d barely been able to admit to himself that he was in a relationship with Remus, that he…cared for the other man when this disappearance forced him to admit just _how much_ he cared. Marriage had certainly never crossed his mind. Yet…

            “He’s mine and I damn well plan on keeping him,” Severus said fiercely. “Forever.” He took another drink as his slightly muddled thoughts followed that train of thought. If he married Remus, he wouldn’t have to fight off over-friendly pink haired witches. Everyone would know Remus belonged to him and he would curse anyone who even thought about touching his husband.

            Severus blinked drunkenly at that thought. _His husband_ …yes the thought had a lovely ring to it. He nodded firmly. “Yes, Lucius. I’m going to marry him.” Suddenly he scowled. “If the bastard ever comes home!” he roared, throwing his glass against the wall.

            Lucius had known Severus long enough to hear the fear and worry his friend was trying to bury in anger and drown in alcohol. With a quiet sigh he repaired the broken glasses, poured Severus another drink and settled in to keep his friend company until his missing lover came home…or was found. Lucius didn’t even want to think of how Severus would react if Lupin were found in anything but the best of conditions.

            “So you finally decided when the attack should occur?” Lucius asked, thinking to distract Severus however briefly.

            Severus scowled down at his glass. “He’d noticed Remus’ absences. As I was supposed to be keeping Remus occupied so that he couldn’t run off and look for Harry, Albus called me in for a stern lecture.” Severus snorted with disdain. “I told him Remus had been getting so frantic over Harry that I’d finally resorted to sedating him. The man only nodded and said it was fine. Remus had already given out his summer homework so he’d just tell everyone that Remus had come down with a cold or some such.”

            Lucius nodded. “It’s been a week since the meeting and there’s still so much to be done. There’s only a week left before the students leave Hogwarts. Will we have time to set Harry’s plans into motion?”

            “Harry meets with the vampire lord tomorrow night and the Weasley twins and I have finished creating the ‘sleep-bombs.’ The potion utilized in them is actually much easier to make than Dreamless Sleep and smaller quantities can be used in the bombs than if it were to be ingested. If Harry’s meeting goes well tomorrow and if Remus would bloody well _come home_ ,” Severus growled, “then everything would be well on track.”

            Lucius merely nodded.

            “Where the hell is he?” Severus roared and threw his glass at the wall again. That didn’t seem to satisfy him this time and he stood and pulled out his wand. With one muttered word the glass shards were turned into ashes.

            Suddenly, after the spell was cast, Severus fell to the floor, unconscious. Lucius swore and quickly ran to his friend’s side. He swore again seeing how pale Severus was and hearing the shallow, wheezing breaths the man was taking. Lucius quickly sent a house elf for his wife and then levitated Severus up to his usual room at the Manor.

***************************************

            Remus floated to consciousness slowly. He became aware of a hand running through his hair. It wasn’t Severus’ hand, but he was still not quite in control enough of his body to frown. Then the voices reached him.

            “I’m so sorry, Remy,” a hoarse voice said.

            “He’s going to be okay, Fenrir,” another voice said gently.

            “Did you see the look on his face when he first saw me, Elliott? He was terrified.” The voice was thick with unshed tears.

            “I know, honey, but it’s not your fault. We’ll explain, tell him what happened, make sure he knows you never intended to hurt him.”

            “I’ve heard his screams so many times in my nightmares, seen that look of fear and disgust on his face when I finally found him again.” There was a choked sob.

            “Shh. Honey, he wasn’t afraid of you for very long was he? Didn’t take him but a few moments to show he’s your son. I’ve always told you he was as stubborn as you.”

            “Stubborn as you, you mean.” A sniff and then a deep, watery chuckle. “He just stood there, glaring at me, looking so much like you it hurt.”

            Remus felt the familiar voices wash over him, soothing him. His eyes fluttered open. “Papa?” he said softly, voice filled with confusion. When he finally got his eyes open and saw the two men looking at him in astonishment, Remus flushed bright red. He couldn’t believe he just called another man “Papa” at his age. “Um,” he said, looking uncertainly between the two men. Fenrir was sitting on the floor by his bed running his hand through Remus’ hair and Elliott was standing behind him with his hands on the big man’s shoulders.

            “Remy?” Fenrir said hesitantly, swallowing hard. His hand froze where he’d been stroking it through Remus’ hair.

            Before Remus could decide how to respond his stomach growled causing him to blush again.

            Elliott smiled gently. “Why don’t I get you something to eat, Remus? Maybe you two could hold off on arguing long enough for me to actually fix you something this time.”

            Fenrir flushed and pulled his hand away from Remus. Remus slowly pushed himself into a sitting position as Elliott left the room. He and Fenrir shared uncertain looks for several silent moments.

            Remus couldn’t take the silence any longer, but he didn’t really know what to say. He cleared his throat. “How long have I been here?”

            “It’s been about three days since Elliott and I found you in that alley,” Fenrir growled. “I personally saw to it those bastards were punished. You don’t have to worry about them again.”

            Remus ignored the last two sentences, his mind stuck on how much time had passed. “Three days?” he asked in horror. Severus and Harry were going to be so worried! “I-I have to go! I have to get home! Sev-” Remus started to get up only to have Fenrir place a gently restraining hand on his shoulder.

            “Easy! Remy, take it easy! Elliott and I have healed you as best we could while you were out, but you still need to take it easy!” Fenrir said, growing more frantic as Remus struggled to get up. “Elliott, damn it!” he shouted suddenly.

            Remus blinked at him, brought out of his worries by the frantic note in Fenrir’s voice.

            Elliott rushed into the room carrying a tray loaded down with food. “What? What happened?”

            “He’s trying to leave again, damn it!” Fenrir said, that frantic note in his voice again.

            Elliott came closer to the bed and set the tray of food on the nightstand and then sat on the edge of the bed next to Remus. “Remus,” he said carefully. “I know we’ve probably frightened you a bit and I can understand after the…attack on you that you are probably reluctant to trust us, but we honestly would never hurt you. You’re safe here. You can stay, rest and get better. We promise no one will bother you here.”

            Remus groaned and ran a hand over his face. He didn’t  really want to leave without getting some answers, but Harry and Severus were more important. Harry could be impulsive and he still didn’t know what was wrong with Severus… “I don’t-” He sighed. “I’m not afraid, but my family needs me. I was only supposed to be gone a few hours,” Remus said with worry. Then he blinked, realizing what he’d said.

            “Your family?” Fenrir asked, voice filled with pain.

            “You’ve never said anything about a family, Remus,” Elliott said after sharing a sad look with Fenrir.

            Remus winced and looked away. “It’s not…official or anything,” he mumbled, embarrassed at having his slip pointed out.

            Elliott reached out and gently grabbed Remus by the chin and turned him back to face the two men. “Tell us?” he asked softly, a pleading note in his voice.

            Remus sighed. “It’s complicated. My…lover and I haven’t been together too long, but I’ve loved him for years. A boy I’ve thought of as like my own son for years…we recently found out is my lover’s son by blood.” Remus ran a hand over his face. “There’s so much more to it than that but…”

            “But the important thing to you is that in your eyes they’re your family,” Fenrir said softly.

            Remus nodded. He supposed that really was the most important thing to him. Harry and Severus might disagree, but that was okay. He loved them both and they didn’t have to feel the same as long as he could have them in his life.

            Suddenly, Remus stomach growled again, causing him to blush again and not just because of the growl. He suddenly realized how much he’d told these two men-complete strangers. Well, perhaps not complete strangers. Remus’ head was starting to ache again.

            “Why don’t you send them a letter letting them know you are okay and then eat something? You’ll not be any help to anyone if you don’t take care of yourself,” Elliott said firmly, standing and crossing the room to a small desk Remus hadn’t noticed before. He quickly returned with writing materials.

            Remus stared at the materials, torn. “A letter really isn’t safe,” he murmured to himself. There was absolutely no way he could send a letter to Hogwarts. Malfoy Manor was all too often watched by Voldemort and Harry really didn’t need to be worrying about him before going to that meeting with the vampire lord.

            “I could send out some of my people and have them brought here. They’d be safe here,” Fenrir said helpfully, hopefully. He truly wanted to help his son, even if the man didn’t know him as a father. And he wanted to meet his son’s family.

            Remus looked at Fenrir in horror. “What? You can’t do that! My god, you’re the Dark Lord’s allies! Do you have any idea what-?”  
            “Remus, he was just offering your family his protection,” Elliott cut in quickly. “He would never let anything happen to them. Our people answer to him and only to him. They would never betray your family to the Dark Lord!”

            Remus looked at Elliott as if he was insane. “And he’s the one who has allied his people with the Dark Lord!”

            “For the good of our people,” Fenrir growled. “I know he’s a bastard, but I didn’t see any other options. Our people are _dying_ under the current paradigm. Hunted, persecuted, shamed…I can’t let our people continue like this!”

            Remus looked at him for a long moment. “There is another option,” he said slowly, hesitantly.

            A dark snarl came to Fenrir’s face and Elliott looked almost savage wearing the angry expression that came to his face.

            “Dumbledore?” Fenrir spat. “You think I could ever ally myself with a sick old prick like that, the man who took my son from me? The man who made me attack and terrorize my son and then gave him to another family? Who helped to remove all of my son’s memories of his real parents?”

            Remus looked at them in confusion. He didn’t want to get sidetracked, but he felt he _had_ to know. “What?”

            Elliott squeezed Fenrir’s shoulder. “Decades ago, there was a potion. It couldn’t cure lycanthropy, but it could give the infected person control of their wolf. An infected person who took this potion never again had to fear what his wolf would do, never had to fear hurting someone or not remembering what happened on the nights of the full moon.”

            “But the potion was extremely difficult to make. Only potion masters could manage and not all of them were willing to do so,” Fenrir said. “And even when you found one willing to make the potion, often he or she would charge an outrageous amount to do it. Far more than most infected could ever hope to pay.”

            “Especially when so many of us struggle to be able to afford the most basic necessities-when we can even find jobs-and we are so often thrown out or run out of town when we are discovered,” Elliott said, a sad, far-away look in his eyes.

            Fenrir reached up and squeezed the hand on his shoulder and then turned back to Remus. “We’d manage to hide, to live a normal life for a short time. We had a home and a son. When we realized we were going to be parents, we began to worry. What were we going to do if someone discovered us? How were we going to take care of our son if we both had to lock ourselves up during the full moon? My sister agreed to watch our son for us for a while, but her husband didn’t know about us and it was understood that if he should start to suspect or if he found out then we were on our own.”

            “So we started saving. It took a lot longer than we’d hoped, but finally we managed to save up enough…for one of us to get the potion,” Elliott said. “We decided that Fenrir should take the potion. He was stronger and it was always more of a worry that he would break free on the nights of the full moon. We also thought, if we needed one of us to change when it _wasn’t_ the full moon in order to protect our family, our son, then the stronger wolf could better protect us.”

            “The potion took three doses. One on the night before the full moon, one on the night of the full moon and one on the night after,” Fenrir said.

            Remus frowned and tilted his head, but didn’t interrupt.

            “I was on the second dose,” Fenrir said, his gaze falling to the floor and his voice fading to a soft whisper. “Our son was at my sister’s house and Elliott was locked up in basement. I…don’t remember everything about that night. I don’t know how I ended up out of the basement. I do remember the…thoughts in my head. I don’t think they were mine. I was disoriented and all I really remember was thinking I had to protect my son, that someone was going to hurt my son.

            “So I ran through the woods to my sister’s house. I get there and I’m so confused, nothing really makes sense. The only thought I can hold onto is, ‘I need to protect my son.’ And then I see my son in the garden under the full moon. He was crying and my sister’s husband was holding his arm. The man was yelling and red-faced and…I tried to bite his hand. I just wanted to get him off my son. I have no doubt I would have killed him, but it was more important to get him to stop hurting my son.

            “Only…I’m not moving right. My limbs feel funny and I’m sluggish. He sees me and yells. He shoves my son at me and I can’t stop. I’ve already lunged at him and I can’t stop in time.” Tears run down Fenrir’s cheeks. Elliott wrapped his arms around Fenrir’s shoulders and hugged him tight. “I knock my son down, scratching him. _Terrifying him_. I try to shake off whatever is wrong but it just gets more confusing and then…nothing. It goes black and then I’m waking up with Elliott shaking me, demanding to know what happened.”

            “It took a long time to piece it all together,” Elliott whispered. “When we went to get our son there were Aurors everywhere. We could hear them questioning John and Margaret and we could hear the answers. We thought John and Margaret were just protecting us, claiming our son as their own. It wasn’t until a few nights later when we tried to go and get our son that we realized their memories had been modified.”

            “My sister didn’t even know who I was,” Fenrir said. “She called me a monster and accused me of being some kind of _pervert_ for attacking _her_ son.” He closed his eyes for a long moment in pain. “Our son didn’t even remember us.”

            “That confused us for a long time,” Elliott said. “Dark magic doesn’t work on werewolves. We couldn’t understand why our son couldn’t-didn’t know something was wrong. He was old enough to know…he was ours.”

            “And then we heard the screams,” Fenrir said, eyes still closed. “We stayed around at night, looking for an opening to take our son back and we heard him screaming. Nightmares, he was having nightmares. About me.”

            “I talked to a trusted friend, a mind healer. He told us it wasn’t dark magic hiding the truth from our son. It was his own mind,” Elliott said.

            “He was so afraid of me, he didn’t even want to remember us,” Fenrir finished.

            Remus sat back and shook his head, dazed. “But…your son…if you’re both…wouldn’t he have to be…?”  
            “Born a werewolf? He was,” Elliott said, looking at Remus sadly. “That…attack,” Fenrir flinched, “didn’t infect him. But the…fright and the stress caused him to start changing much earlier than he would have otherwise.”

            “Men in my family have been werewolves for generations. Not all of them, but many of them. The women are much less likely to become werewolves, but they can pass it on,” Fenrir said. “Usually when a baby is born a werewolf, he changes on the first full moon after he’s born. Then he doesn’t change again until he hits puberty. We’ve never been able to figure out why they change just the one time when they are little, but there have been many theories.

            “It’s only because not all of us, especially not all of the men, become werewolves that the family still has standing in the Wizarding world. Usually control of the family goes to the uninfected, who then take care of the infected as well as they can. Some Heads of Family have cared more, some less, but they’ve all at least tried to take care of the ‘hidden’ portion of the family.”

            Remus frowned. “I’m not familiar with the name Greyback. Was your family originally from somewhere else?”

            Fenrir shook his head sadly. “Greyback isn’t…it isn’t my real last name.” Finally he looked up and met Remus’ gaze with his own. “My real name is Fenrir Lupin.” Remus could only stare. “My sister and I were the last of the Lupins. I was infected so I couldn’t take control of the family. My sister could, but only if she never took another name. So she married a Muggleborn wizard who was willing to accept her last name when they married. I think he liked the idea of becoming a part of a pureblood family.”

            Remus struggled to breathe. He’d known it was coming. Didn’t those memories tell him what to expect? But hearing it, knowing a man he’d for so long loved like a father had taken so much from him…Remus’ head dropped forward and tears started pouring from his eyes.

            “Remy.” Elliot reached forward, but then pulled his hand back as if afraid Remus wouldn’t want him to touch him.

            After a while, Remus wiped his face and looked up to see the two men staring at him with worried eyes. He looked at Elliott. “You never said anything.”

            Elliott winced and shared a look with Fenrir. “We’d hoped…we’d hoped that seeing me might help you remember on your own. We knew we couldn’t force you to remember, but we thought if you saw me you might remember…”

            “And we knew you were terrified of me,” Fenrir said, eyes full of pain. “We didn’t want to risk you pushing your memories deeper, so I stayed away.”

            “Then tonight, I thought if I could show you he’s not the monster you fear, if I could show you he’s a kind, loving man…” Elliot trailed off.

            “We tried to help you as much as we could without…forcing ourselves on your life,” Elliott continued softly after a while. “We were so terrified when you left the country after graduating.” He closed his eyes. “We just knew…we just knew what kind of life you were living. We would have given anything to go back and give you the life we’d planned out for you, the life we’d hope to give you.”

            “We know you probably won’t believe us,” Fenrir said. “We know how that bastard Headmaster has portrayed himself in your eyes. But-”

            “I believe you,” Remus said softly. Fenrir and Elliott looked at him with such hope and desperate longing it hurt Remus just to see it. He swallowed. “I already knew Dumbledore had set up the attack on me when I was a child. I found out recently. I had no idea just how much he’d taken from me though.” He gave them a sad smile.

            The two men reached out together, each hesitantly holding out a hand to Remus. Fenrir was far more hesitant and hopeful. Remus wiped his eyes again and gave a small laugh and then reached out and pulled both men into a hug. The other two men hugged him so tight he couldn’t breathe, but he didn’t complain. The hug lasted long moments, but Remus’ growling stomach ended the moment.

            Remus pulled away, red-faced. Elliott laughed and picked up the tray of food and sat it in Remus’ lap. “Eat,” he said.

            Fenrir just wiped tears off his face and swallowed hard. He wrapped Elliot in his arms and the two men just sat and watched Remus eat. After several minutes of watching Remus eat, Elliott frowned and asked, “If you knew that bastard…did what he did, why would you want us to join him?”

            Remus looked up from his plate. “What? I didn’t.” He blinked and then remembered what he was talking about. “Did you know, I went to that pub specifically hoping to get an audience with Fenrir Greyback?”

            Both men blinked at him. “Why?” Fenrir asked, completely baffled.

            “I was hoping,” Remus said carefully, “that if we met and talked I could see if you were really what the rumors made you out to be. I wanted to know if you were allied with the Dark Lord because you really supported him or if you only saw him as a lesser evil as it were. I was hoping, if I offered an alternative to both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord that you’d be willing to consider it.”

            “An alternative?” the two men asked together.

            Remus nodded. “A third side in this war, one that is willing to overhaul the entire Ministry and re-write or outright toss out every law making our mere existence illegal. A side willing to offer werewolves freedom from systematic persecution and help with building a new image that will help counteract some of the prejudice people hold against us. A side that also has an even better version of the Wolfsbane potion available than the one you took and a Potions Master willing to charge only for the price of the ingredients to make it.” Remus hoped Severus could forgive him for the promise. Maybe he could talk Harry and Lucius into finding a way to make the Ministry pay for it…

            “What? You’re not talking about that prick Snape are you?” Fenrir sneered. He blinked as a strawberry hit him in the face.

            “Watch it,” Remus growled.

            “You wanna bite my head off for allying our people with the Dark Lord, but you throw food at me to defend a man working for both the major bastards in this war?” Fenrir asked, perplexed.

            “First of all, Severus is _mine_ and I’ll do more than throw food at you if you don’t watch what you say about him,” Remus growled, causing both men’s brows to raise in surprise. “And _second_ , Severus doesn’t work for either of them. He’s very much a part of this third side I’m _trying_ to tell you about.”

            Elliott laughed. “Definitely your son, honey!”

            Fenrir grumbled and bit into the strawberry that had hit him in the face. “Alright then, tell us about this third side.”

            Remus took a bite and tried to think of where to begin. After a long moment he sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know where to start. I hadn’t even been certain I would be able to speak with you. I’d only planned to see if you were open to an alternative and then try to arrange a meeting between you and…” Remus grinned. “The leader of this third side.”

            “And who might that be?” Fenrir asked, frowning.

            Remus looked at him thoughtfully and then said, “Harry Potter.” He then calmly took another bite of his food.

            Both men blinked in surprise. They looked at each other and then turned back to Remus. “Potter?” Fenrir asked. “Dumbledore’s little pet?” Fenrir blinked as this time a blueberry hit him in the face. He caught it, looked down at it with a grimace and then handed it to Elliott. Elliott took it with a smile and popped it into his mouth.

            “Are you planning to insult _everyone_ I care about or just my family?” Remus asked with a glare.

            Once more Fenrir and Elliott stared at Remus in surprise. “Potter and Snape are the family you mentioned?” Fenrir asked.

            “Harry Potter is Severus Snape’s son?” Elliott asked.

            Remus blinked and then ran hand over his face and groaned. “They’re going to kill me.” He looked at the other two men wearily. “Can I trust you not to tell anyone?”

            “Of course!” Fenrir said with a frown. Then he blinked and grinned. “Elliott! We get to meet our grandson! And maybe our future son-in-law?” He looked at Remus hopefully.

            Remus began to feel a little panicky. “Um, as much as I love Severus, I’m not sure he’s really ready for that yet.”

            “Fenrir, honey, leave the boy alone. He’s not even had a chance to wrap his head around the idea of us being his parents. I don’t think he’s anywhere near ready for you to be treating his family like ours yet,” Elliott said quietly.

            “I think Harry would like the idea of having grandparents,” Remus offered tentatively, hating the crushed, resigned look on Fenrir’s face. “Though it will probably take Severus a while longer to get used to it.”

            Elliott grinned at him gratefully and ran a hand through Fenrir’s hair.

            “So you wanted to ask me to meet with Harry Potter, who hopes to convince me to join him against both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore?” Fenrir asked thoughtfully. He grinned when Remus nodded. “And if my only condition for this meeting is that he brings Snape to this meeting?”

            Elliott sighed with a mixture of fondness and exasperation. Remus grinned and said, “I’m sure I can talk Harry into bringing Severus to the meeting.”

            “Good,” Fenrir said, looking smug.

            Elliott laughed and then turned to Remus. “How did Harry come to lead this third side in the war?”

            “Mostly because he was the one who created this third side,” Remus said, smiling.

            “How did that happen?” Fenrir asked with a frown. “I thought Harry was…close with Dumbledore?”  
            Remus sighed. “It’s…a long story and not all of it is mine to tell.” Remus grimaced. “Though I’ve already given away some of it that I probably shouldn’t have.” With another sigh, Remus said, “From what Harry’s told me, he started feeling strangely around the beginning of the school year. Severus noticed, but neither of them really knew or came close to suspecting what was going on. Around Christmas, they finally found out about their connection and they went to remove some spells that had hidden Harry’s true parentage. And they found Harry had some incredibly dark binding spells on him, spells that had been there nearly his entire life.”

            Remus blinked as the two men growled at that. He looked at them curiously but continued, “It didn’t take them long to realize Dumbledore was responsible for the spells and in the process of removing the spells, Harry and Severus learned the true depths of darkness the man had sunk to.” Remus remembered coming in to the room and seeing Harry sitting on the sofa between Fred and George, sobbing. He remembered his look into the pensieve.

            Remus blinked as he felt a touch on his knee. He looked and saw Elliott giving him a sympathetic look with his hand on Remus’ knee.

            “So he decided to work against Dumbledore, but since the Dark Lord wasn’t any better…he created his own side?” Elliott asked.

            “Actually, I think it was meeting with his fiancé’s friends that gave him the idea,” Remus said.

            “Fiancé?” Fenrir and Elliott asked together.

            Remus picked up another blueberry and gave Fenrir a pointed look before saying, “Yes. Harry is engaged to Severus’ godson, Draco Malfoy.”

            “Malfoy?” Fenrir asked, seemingly completely baffled.

            Remus nodded. “Draco introduced Harry to his friends and let Harry know that their parents supported the Dark Lord because they saw no other option and not because they actually supported his madness. Draco wanted Harry to know he didn’t have to be afraid of Draco’s friends, but Harry got the idea for a third side in the war. He has already recruited several Death Eaters and a few members of the Order.

            “More than that I’m afraid you are going to have to get from Harry. We’ve pretty much left this in his hands and so far it’s seemed to work out for the best that way,” Remus finished. Then he frowned and gave Elliott and Fenrir a stern look. “Of course, I hope I can trust that all of this information stays between us. Including the fact that Severus is still alive.”

            “Of course we won’t say anything,” Fenrir sniffed. Then he frowned. “What do you mean still alive?”

            A pained expression came to Remus’ face. “The Dark Lord suspected that he was a spy and tried to torture him to death. He managed to get away just in time, but it was a close thing. The Dark Lord thinks he succeeded in killing Severus and that’s the way we want it for now.”

            Once more Elliott gently squeezed Remus’ knee. “So when do we get to meet them?” he asked.

            Remus frowned, trying to think. “Well, Harry’s meeting with the vampire lord tomorrow night so…”

            “Then we’ll meet then tomorrow morning!” Fenrir said fiercely. “I’m not letting that vampire meet our family before us!”

            Elliott gently elbowed Fenrir in the side. “Fenrir!”

            “What?” Fenrir growled down at him.

            Remus sat the nearly empty tray of food on the nightstand and moved to stand up. “That might not be a bad idea. There’s little time left before…something rather major happens and it would definitely be better to know your decision before that happens.”

            “What do you mean? Of course we are going to join this third side,” Fenrir said with a frown. “Harry-the leader of this third side- is your son, a part of our family. If that weren’t enough, he obviously cares about you and is willing to try to work for the rights of werewolves. That’s all I wanted for our people. That he’s also the only one of the leaders of the three factions that is a decent person is pretty persuasive as well.”

            “We still want to meet him and discuss specifics, but surely you never doubted our choice?” Elliott said.

            Remus shrugged. “I try not to make assumptions, especially with something so important.” He started to stand and frowned at Fenrir when the man put a hand on his shoulder and gently held him in place.

            “And where do you think you’re going?” he asked.

            “I need to get back,” Remus said, frowning. “I need to tell Harry about the meeting and I need to let Severus know I’m okay.”

            “You aren’t in any shape to go anywhere,” Fenrir said. “We’ll owl the boy or something.”

            Remus shook his head. “You can’t risk putting something like that down on paper. And Harry wouldn’t trust it anyway. Not as long as he couldn’t be sure I was okay.”

            “But you need to rest and heal,” Fenrir said, obviously frustrated.

            Elliott put a hand on Fenrir’s arm. “Maybe not. Remus, you said there was a newer, better version of the potion we told you about? I’m assuming you know because you’ve taken it?” Remus nodded. “Can you control your changes? Change at will?”

            “Yes. Why?” Remus asked with a frown.

            “One of the benefits of the version I took is that changing can help me heal,” Fenrir said.

            “Oh? I thought that kind of thing was just part of muggle myth?” Remus said, surprised.

            They shook their heads and stood and moved back so that Remus could get out of bed. He did and as soon as he had enough room he quickly changed into his wolf and then back again. He was shocked that they were right-he felt completely fine!

            He grinned. “I can’t wait to tell Severus! He was excited enough about the potion giving me the ability to control passing on the lycanthropy virus, but this-”

            “The ability to control the virus?” Fenrir asked, interrupting Remus’ excitement.

            Remus blinked. “Yes. The last full moon we did some tests, trying to catalog all of the changes that the new formula caused. A few days later, Severus realized something rather amazing-the agent that spreads the infection from one person to another wasn’t active. Not on the night of the full moon, not in either form. We did a few more tests and found that I have to wish to deliberately infect someone for the agent to activate and I can infect someone even when it is not the night of the full moon. However, the agent is much weaker the farther away the full moon is. I can only infect through a bite on nights other than the full moon and on the full moon I can infect through both a bite and a scratch with my claws. It’s not the same for you?”

            “No,” Fenrir said, looking awed. “I still have to be very careful on the full moon. Even the day before the night of the full moon I can accidentally scratch someone in human form and infect them. From what I saw the change was not painful for you?” Remus shook his head. “That’s different for me as well. It is nowhere as painful as it used to be, but it is still painful enough I don’t change without reason.”

            Remus saw Elliott shudder at the mention of the painful changes and he had a thought. “I don’t know if it will be possible as Severus has another potion he needs to work on for the major event I mentioned, but if he has time I can ask him to brew another batch of  his newest Wolfsbane potion. I don’t know if it would work for you,” he looked at Fenrir, “since you already took the older version and I don’t know if it will work without the full moon,” he turned to Elliott, “but it might be worth trying. I know Severus would love the challenge and the ability to test his potion’s limits.”

            Elliott smiled at Remus with a glimmer of tears in his eyes. “Thank you, Remy.”

            Fenrir swallowed hard. “Do you really think he would be willing to do that for us? Everything I’ve seen of the man makes me think he has a particular dislike for us ‘dark creatures.’”

            Remus shook his head. “He’s a spy. He couldn’t afford for those of you with enhanced senses to notice something and bring it to the Dark Lord’s attention. And,” Remus paused, a thoughtful frown coming to his face, “if the potion does work without the full moon, maybe he can make enough for at least a few of your most trusted pack members as well as you two. It could be a huge advantage during-” Remus cut himself off. He’d already given away far too much as it was.

            Fenrir frowned. “We have some money saved up. We were planning on building a home for the members of our pack, somewhere they could all feel safe and not have to worry about being thrown out or harassed. We could perhaps use some of that money to pay for the potion. Would you have any idea of how much Snape would charge? I know at least six men who could use the potion more than the others. They are high-ranking members of the pack as well. Do you think the benefit to whatever you are planning could lower the price to something we could afford for eight people?”

            Remus gave him a sad smile. “Actually, I was talking about Severus giving you the potion for free.” The shock on the other two men’s faces almost made Remus want to cry. But he’d been a werewolf all of his life. He knew why they would expect to have to pay. “Firstly, I’d ask Severus as a favor to me. Second, as I said, I know he’d love the chance to test his potion’s limits and third, you could always use it as a bargaining chip. Ask for the potion in return for joining Harry. Though, I honestly don’t think it would ever occur to Harry to ask for anything in return for the potion.”

            “Speaking of joining Harry,” Elliott said softly after a moment. “I think we need to discuss an exact time and place for the meeting. Somewhere neutral, private and safe for both sides I think goes without saying, but given we need to hide our actions from both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore we need to be extra careful.”

            Remus nodded and silence fell as the three men thought. Long minutes passed in silence as each considered and then discarded idea after idea. That the meeting was to take place during the day made the issue more difficult.

            Finally Remus said, “What about this? Why not have Elliott meet me before dawn near the pub we met in last night? I’ll bring a portkey for both of you to use that will be set to activate at, say, two in the afternoon? That is, if you think you can trust me. I can understand if-”

            “I think that will be fine, Remy,” Fenrir said with a nod. “We trust you. Besides, it doesn’t do you any good to attack us if you want our help right? So wherever we end up is fine.”

            “Alright then. I guess I should be going,” Remus said. “I know Severus will be worried and Harry will want to hear about the meeting as soon as possible.”

            “Alright,” Elliott said, sounding as reluctant as Fenrir looked. He reached out and straightened Remus’ collar. “You can Apparate if you are feeling up to it. This is our private home and we adjusted the wards while you were unconscious. You can come and go as you please.”

            Remus was shocked to hear that. He couldn’t believe they trusted him so quickly. Then again, despite only now remembering his true parents, he and Elliott had known each other for years. He nodded and started to Apparate back to the twins’ shop, but then a thought occurred to him and he frowned.

            “I just thought of something. If I was born a werewolf, why did Dumbledore think he was arranging for me to be infected with his whole-” Remus waved his arm, unable to say the words.

            “He probably didn’t know. We didn’t tell anyone, not even my sister,” Fenrir said. “She probably suspected, but we let her believe that Elliott was uninfected, that he just stayed to make sure I didn’t break free during the night.”

            “I’ve always suspected that he used John to drug Fenrir. I have to wonder if he hadn’t perhaps questioned John and that was how he chose us. John never did care much for us and if John suspected anything he would have believed, like Margaret, that it was only Fenrir who was infected,” Elliott said. “And few outside the Lupin family know it’s even possible for children to be born werewolves. Most believe that once infected, a person becomes…sterile.”

            Remus smiled slightly. “A rumor encouraged and spread by werewolves?”

            “Can you blame us?” Fenrir asked seriously. “Given the way they treat us, what else can we do to protect our children?”

            Remus sobered and nodded. “I should go now,“ he said quietly. He took a deep breath and then quickly hugged each man before Apparating away. He left so quickly he didn’t see the tears fall from the eyes of both men.

*************************************

            It was late when Remus arrived in the twins’ apartment above their shop, but he could still hear cursing coming from the twins’ workshop. Not wanting to disturb them, he quietly Flooed back to Malfoy Manor. Remus was getting ready to Floo from the Manor back to Hogwarts when one of the Malfoy family house elves popped into the room and told him Severus was upstairs in his usual room.

            Worried about what that could mean, Remus hurried up to the room he’d found Severus in when the man didn’t return from that last Death Eater meeting. His heart stopped as he reached the open door and saw Severus lying in bed looking much paler than usual with Narcissa and Lucius on one side of the bed wearing grave expressions.

            “What’s happened?” Remus asked. He crossed the room to Severus side and gently reached down to pick up Severus’ hand.

            Before either Malfoy could respond, Severus’ eyes opened and he gave Remus a weak glare. “About time, wolf,” Severus said hoarsely, in a voice so different from his usual dark, silky tones Remus hardly recognized it. “Don’t you ever disappear like that again.”

            “Severus is still growing weaker,” Narcissa said softly. “If we don’t do something soon…”

            Remus closed his eyes in pain and brought Severus’ hand up to his face. He pressed the back of Severus’ hand to his cheek, not at all caring what the Malfoys might think. He was surprised to feel Severus gently stroke his cheek with the back of one finger. He opened his eyes and his breath caught at the depth of emotion Severus allowed him to glimpse.

            Remus jumped as the door suddenly burst open and Harry and Victoria nearly fell into the room. Harry looked frantic and even the usually cool Victoria was wearing a look of urgency.

            “We know what’s wrong with him,” Harry said breathlessly.


	45. Rituals

 

 

            “We know what’s wrong with him,” Harry said breathlessly. “Avery just owled Victoria and-”

            “Quickly, Harry, we haven’t much time,” Victoria interrupted, having caught sight of Severus.

            The two of them waved Remus, Lucius and Narcissa back and then they worked together to perform a spell. They chanted together and waved their wands in a complicated pattern. A dark haze appeared around Severus and Harry and Victoria chanted louder. A soft glow started emanating from Severus body and he gasped as it burned away the dark haze. The chanting became softer and softer until it died away.

            “How are you feeling?” Harry asked urgently.

            Severus frowned. Whatever that glow had been it filled him with energy and had soothed the pain he had been hiding the last few days. “I feel much better,” he said, his voice returned to normal. He sat up, and before anything else could be said he glared at his stubborn wolf and reached out and yanked him into his arms.

            Remus didn’t say anything as he held Severus tightly.

            Victoria blinked at the sight, but then quickly shook off her surprise. “I’m afraid all we’ve done is bought some time.”

            Remus pulled away from Severus and looked at the dark haired woman worriedly. “So what is wrong with him?”

            “The Dark Lord is using his dark mark to drain him of his magic and his life,” Victoria said. “Harry and I have managed to briefly reverse the flow, but it is temporary and the spell can only be used once. We have a few days at best before it runs out. If we haven’t done anything by then, when the spell stops reversing the flow Severus will instantly be drained completely.”

            “And what can we do?” Remus asked frantically. “We’ve already been searching-!”  
            “Actually, there is one thing that can be done and apparently it won’t be as difficult as I’d thought,” Victoria said arching an eyebrow and looking at Remus. Then she looked at Lucius and Narcissa. “I think perhaps we should leave Harry to explain.”

            Lucius frowned, but Narcissa pulled him along as she followed Victoria from the room.

            Harry nervously turned to the two men on the bed. Remus was looking at him, worry and fear still on his face. Severus was looking rather disgruntled and suddenly yanked Remus back towards him. Once he had Remus settled comfortably against him, he turned to Harry with an expectant look. Harry had to smile at the soft blush that came to Remus’ face despite his fear.

            “The answer is pretty simple,” Harry said. “You just have to remove the dark mark and-”

            “It can’t be done,” Severus said flatly. “After the first war, when everyone was certain the Dark Lord was dead and gone, Lucius and I tried any number of ways to remove the mark.”

            Harry nodded. “And none of it worked. But I know something that will.” He grinned when Severus raised one eyebrow at him. “The Three-Souls Ritual.”

            “The ritual Dumbledore wanted you to do?” Remus asked in surprise.

            Harry nodded. “When Dumbledore kept insisting on the ritual, I read as much as I could find about it. I found a book in the library at Zabini Estate that described the ritual in detail and included some of the history of the ritual. Apparently, during the creation of the bond other bonds or permanent connections can be burned away. Blood connections like those between parents and children or siblings are unaffected, of course. It’s only…” Harry frowned. “It’s only certain types of connections that are affected. Those created by dark magic are certain to be destroyed. It seems the ritual was created to counteract marks forced on a witch or wizard-marks of slavery, marks of what muggles would call demonic possession, curses by malicious Fae. It won’t even matter that you took the mark voluntarily because it seems certain bonds or connections, like those with Fae, can be done through coercion-a person can be tricked or talked into accepting such a bond, not realizing what they were doing or getting into.”

            “I wonder if Dumbledore knew about that,” Remus said with a frown.

            “It would not have mattered to him. In fact, it most likely would have been a benefit in his eyes. After all, the purer the soul the more power and purity he can take for his own,” Severus said, tightening his arms around Remus’ waist. Harry gave a shudder at the thought of what the Headmaster had done and what he’d planned to do to Harry eventually.

            “So with this ritual…?” Remus asked.

            “The dark mark will be gone,” Harry said.

            “And I’ll be bound to two other people,” Severus said thoughtfully.

            “Well, yes,” Harry said. “But I thought, maybe I could…and Victoria was going to, um, volunteer for the third since you two are old friends, but maybe Remy?” Harry blushed. “I mean he obviously, uh, qualifies.”

            “Victoria?” Remus turned to Severus with a suspicious frown.

            Severus frowned as well. “Victoria and I have never been physically intimate,” he said flatly.

            “Um, no, she was volunteering to, uh,” Harry blushed again and waved his hands vaguely. Harry had wanted to tell her that wouldn’t be necessary, but he didn’t think it was his place to tell everyone about Remus and Severus. Besides, when he started to say anything all he could think about was walking in on them in Severus’ office. Harry was sure he’d never be able to look at that desk again.

            Remus turned a fierce glare on the closed door. “Oh, she was, was she?” he growled.

            Severus kissed the side of Remus’ neck while Harry stared at the floor and then said, “Harry, I would like to discuss this privately with Remus.”

            Harry looked up and nodded. “Of course. I’ll go see how Victoria’s handling the shock. I think she honestly had no idea you two were together.”

            Both men frowned at Harry, but he was already leaving the room.

            Remus turned to Severus. “Severus, you know there’s no question that I will do this. If this is what you want. With me I mean.”

            Severus frowned. “Are you certain this will work for you, Remus? I didn’t think your wolf would allow such a ritual.”

            Remus frowned. While it was true werewolves had a strong immunity to dark magic, this ritual was not dark. Just the opposite from what Harry had said. “Why wouldn’t it?”

            “This is a binding ritual,” Severus said carefully, certain Remus hadn’t yet made the connection. He’d thought a lot since his drunken realizations and he knew he was going to do whatever it took to keep Remus forever. This ritual was a good step and it should certainly be easier to talk Remus into marrying him if they did this ritual, but…

            “And?” Remus asked, frowning.

            “Werewolves have mates,” Severus said flatly. And never had he hated Sirius Black more than when Severus realized the man must have been Remus’ mate. He hated the man for sharing something so intimate with Remus, for meaning more to Remus than Severus ever could.

            “No, really?” Remus asked, seemingly amused.

            Severus glared at Remus. “Werewolves are known to resist all forms of binding magic that might interfere with or imitate a mate-bond.”

            “So…?” Remus asked, drawing the word out. He wasn’t sure whether Severus was ready to face what Remus had suspected since the moment they met and had known for certain since merging with his wolf, but it seemed he was determined to find out.

            Severus glared. “So while Black may be dead I don’t think-”

            Remus was startled. “What? What are you talking about, Severus? Sirius was certainly not my mate! There was never anything even remotely like that between us!”

            Severus paused as he took in that thought. Surely…surely not James Potter. Severus was certain if Remus told him _Potter_ was his mate he was going to have to dig the bastard up out of his grave and perform any number of horrid curses on the prick’s corpse. “Then _Potter_ was…?”

            “What? No, Severus!” Remus said, exasperated. Really, the man was so incredibly stubborn!

            “Then who?” Severus demanded.

            Remus just raised his brows and gave Severus a pointed look. It took Severus a moment, but Remus was gratified to see the shock on his face as he appeared to figure it out.

            “Are you suggesting…? Are you saying that _I_ am?” Severus asked, completely stunned. Never had he thought…Then he frowned. “But what about the times your wolf tried to kill me?”

            Remus blushed and cleared his throat. “Actually, it didn’t. You see, the wolf recognized you as my mate and was trying to, um, claim you. Both times someone stepped in, remember? First James and then Sirius. Well, the wolf actually saw that as challenges for its mate and it _did_ try to kill James and Sirius. You…were never in any danger with me.”

            Severus was stunned, but he thought he could handle knowing Remus’ wolf had come after him intending to claim him rather than kill him. After all, that meant he owed neither James Potter nor Sirius Black his life. Suddenly, Severus smirked. It also meant that Remus was all his, that Remus belonged to him in a way he would never belong to anyone else. Between that and the ritual, he had no doubt he could get Remus to marry him. And then the man would be bound to him thrice over, so tight no one could ever separate them.

            “Severus?” Remus asked, curious about the smirk that suddenly came to his mate’s face.

            “So there is no reason we cannot perform the ritual with Harry?” Severus asked smoothly.

            “No,” Remus said.

            “Then let’s get Harry and see how he feels about the ritual. If he truly does not mind-” Severus began.

            Remus frowned. “You know he won’t. Harry cares for you, Severus. Just give him some more time. You two have come so far in less than a year. I’m sure you will someday be as close as any father and son.”

            Severus cleared his throat, trying to rid it of the lump suddenly forming there at Remus’ words. “In any case, we should hurry. The sooner I am back at full strength the better. There is still much to do and less than a week until the attack on Hogwarts.”

            “You’ve set a date then?” Remus asked worriedly.

            Severus nodded. “The night before the Leaving Feast. Dumbledore will suddenly lose his strength and magic around 2:30 in the morning. Of course, we will need the battle to start before then so that he will not realize anything’s wrong before we get him into the open.”

            Remus nodded. “Let get you taken care of.” He kissed Severus on the cheek and then started to get up. He frowned when Severus tightened the arm he had around Remus’ waist, stopping him from rising.

            Severus sent a house elf after Harry and then turned back to Remus with a thoughtful frown. “It would seem Harry was not as oblivious to our relationship as I’d thought.”

            Before Remus could respond, Harry came into the room. He must have been waiting just in the hallway outside. He came in and gave both men a questioning look.

            “Are you certain you wish to do this, Harry?” Severus asked, carefully neutral.

            Harry looked startled. “Of course I am!”

            Severus nodded, hiding the relief and pleasure that filled him with Harry’s immediate agreement. “Then perhaps we should do this now. We have much to do in the next several days.”

            Harry nodded and then hesitated. “Um, there was something I was hoping to talk to you two about. Maybe this isn’t the best time, but…and I mean, it could potentially strengthen the ritual so that’s good right?”

            “Harry, what is it?” Remus asked, puzzled by Harry’s nervous rambling.

            Harry stopped and took a deep breath. “I was wondering, hoping that maybe…” Giving a frustrated huff, Harry finally just blurted out, “Remus would you consider doing a blood adoption on me?” He looked nervously between the two men on the bed.

            Remus was shocked. “Harry, are you certain? I mean, that would mean you couldn’t claim Lily any longer.”

            Harry nodded. “I know, but…I’ve spent my life acknowledging one real parent and one man who wasn’t, well, anything to me.” Harry winced at how that sounded. “And while I still want to know about her and I’d like to always remember her…I think maybe I want to live the rest of my life being able to tell everyone about my real parents. And maybe we don’t share any blood, Remy, but ever since we met you’ve been there for me just like a real parent. The blood adoption really just makes what I feel for you official.”

            Remus struggled to hold back his tears, but one tear slipped down his cheek. “I’d be honored, Harry,” he whispered. “If Severus doesn’t mind, I mean.” He turned to his lover, his mate and looked in his eyes, worried Harry’s request had upset him.

            Severus calmly reached up and wiped the tear from Remus’ cheek. He’d always known about the relationship Harry and Remus had. In a strange way, Harry’s request came as a relief. Harry was asking Remus to take Lily’s place, not his. He could truly share Harry with Remus without worrying that someday Harry was going to choose Remus over him. And while they would all remember Lily, it really was as Harry said. They were just making official what was already there.

            _It will certainly make things much easier_ , Severus thought, thinking of his plans to keep Remus forever. He would have husband and together they would have a son. _A family_.

            “Of course I don’t mind, Remus,” Severus said softly. Severus cupped Remus’ cheek with one hand and pulled him close for a slow kiss. When he pulled back, Remus was looking wonderfully dazed and Harry was bright red. Severus smirked.

            “Great!” Harry said, trying not to remember catching his parents having sex on his father’s desk. “Then I was thinking maybe we could do the adoption first and then the Three-Souls Ritual? Like I said, the adoption could help strengthen the ritual.”

            “Are we going to have time to do both?” Remus asked worriedly.

            Harry nodded. “I’d already gotten the ingredients for the adoption and Victoria has already told Narcissa and Lucius what will be needed for the ritual.”

            Severus frowned. “But it can take months for a blood adoption to go through, Harry.”

            Harry grinned sheepishly. “If you are doing a legal one, yeah.”

            Severus’ brows rose. “And what are you planning now, Harry?”

            “Well, I’ve already been talking with Narcissa and we had a few ideas…” Harry said. He grinned when Remus and Severus frowned at him. “We’ve already started working on creating a whole new life for me. We are going to get Lucius and Victoria to help, um, falsify some documents and get them to the proper places in the Ministry. The three of us,” Harry waved his hand, indicating Remus, Severus and himself, “are going to do the ritual for the blood adoption, but we aren’t going to have it documented and overseen by a Ministry official. We are going to get a birth certificate for the son of Remus Lupin and Severus Snape.

            “I’m not going to be Harry Potter anymore. Harry Potter is going to be a completely separate person who is just going to disappear or whatever when the war’s over and I’m going to be…well, we still haven’t agreed completely on the name yet. I thought maybe you two could help decide that-like real parents would. We did agreed that I’d be a year older than Harry Potter and I’d take my OWLs and NEWTs over as your son.” Harry grinned, knowing he might get yelled at for what he was about to say. “I deliberately got low scores when I took my NEWTs. I figure any son of your’s would be pretty smart, so I’m going to get better scores as him. I’m also going to take some NEWTs ‘Harry Potter’ never took.

            “I spent a lot of my time study things that are above and beyond what’s covered at Hogwarts, so why don’t I get credit for that? I’ve spent some time studying with Narcissa and Victoria things like Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Victoria is also helping me with ritual magic which as you know hasn’t been taught at Hogwarts in centuries. I’ve also been studying the languages many spells are based in. You wouldn’t believe how good my Latin’s gotten.”

            Severus snorted. After seeing him perform that spell with Victoria earlier, Severus could believe that much.

            “I’ve also decided to take the NEWTs for Lithomancy and Tegmenancy. I thought I did pretty well on the gift I gave you for Christmas,” Harry said. “Oh, that reminds me.” Harry started digging in his pockets, searching for something.

            “Lithomancy is gems,” Remus said with a frown, “But Tegmenancy?”

            “Protective amulets or talismans,” Harry said distractedly. “Apparently there’s only one person left who’s skilled and knowledgeable enough in it to give the NEWT for it. And yet there’s actually a Mastery for it, can you believe it? Ah-ha!” He pulled a silver chain from his pocket. “This is technically an amulet. It’s also for you, Remy.”

            Remus took the silver chain with a frown. At the end of the long, slender chain was a silver snake is the shape of an ‘S’.

            “It has all of the spells I put on the one I gave you for Christmas,” Harry said to Severus. “I started to give you that one, but then I decided on the other one at the last minute.”

            Severus suddenly glared at Remus. “Well, at least this way you won’t have any excuses for disappearing for days at a time.”

            “What?” Harry asked, looking between them. “What happened to Remy?”

            “I went to meet with the wolves of Greyback’s pack,” Remus said. “Speaking of which, Greyback wants to meet with you before you see the vampire lord, so I told him you’d meet him around two tomorrow afternoon.”

            Harry’s eyes widened. “What did-?” He broke off when Severus sneezed. “Okay, we’ll talk about that in the morning. Tonight we have two rituals to perform.”

            Severus glared. “I am not an invalid.”

            “No, but I’d rather get the important things taken care of first,” Harry said, turning to the door.

            When the door closed behind Harry, Remus chuckled at the stunned look on Severus face. “See, Severus? You are more important than the war. I told you Harry cares about you.”

            Severus turned and glared at Remus. “And since when have you indulged in ‘I told you so’?”

            Remus smiled. “Since you need to be reminded how much people care about you.”

            “And do you care about me, Remus?” Severus asked steadily.

            Remus glared. “Of course, I do! How can you even ask that!”

            “Hmm, I suppose you’re right. You care enough to bind your soul to mine for all time,” Severus said musingly.

            “Exactly!” Remus sniffed, still huffy over the implication that Severus could doubt that he cared.

            “And we have a son together,” Severus continued, still speaking in that slow, musing tone. “We care for one another and we have a son together. It rather sounds like we have a family, doesn’t it, Remus?”

            Remus’ breath caught in his throat. He stared at Severus, his heart aching, wondering, hoping...

            “I think,” Severus said, his eyes searching Remus’ face. “Yes, I really think we should make it official, don’t you?”

            “Official?” Remus whispered.

            “Mmm,” Severus said. He brought his hand up and cupped Remus’ face. His gaze dropped to Remus lips and he slowly stroked his thumb along Remus’ bottom lip. Then he suddenly looked Remus in the eyes. “Marry me.”

            Remus’ breath hitched. “M-marry you?”

            “Marry me,” Severus repeated, his dark eyes watching Remus intently.

            Remus desperately wanted to say yes. Never in his life had he thought he’d hear those words from Severus, but he’d dreamed…But in his dreams, Severus more than just cared for him and he didn’t ask because it would make everything official. “Why?” he whispered.

            “Why?” Severus glared. “I just told you why!”

            “Because it would make our family official,” Remus said miserably.

            Severus frowned, but kept his hand on Remus’ cheek. Deciding his emotional appeal hadn’t worked, Severus tried logic. “Well, we certainly wouldn’t want our son to have been born outside of marriage, would we? We can have Lucius and Victoria create a marriage certificate as well as the birth certificate Harry spoke of. Surely we owe Harry that much. And we are already making an eternal commitment in binding our souls together. Is marriage really that much of a stretch?”

            Remus felt every word Severus spoke like a drop of acid on his heart. He knew Severus cared, but it sounded like the man wasn’t ready to love him. Perhaps he never would. Maybe he’d closed his heart off so much after Lily that he would never love Remus the way Remus loved him. Tears spilled from his eyes and he reached up and gently pulled Severus’ hand from his cheek.

            “We do care about each other, Severus,” Remus said. “But I’d rather hoped the man I married would more than just care about me.”

            Severus glared. “Oh, bloody hell, you’re going to make me say it aren’t you?”

            Remus tried not to flinch. “I would never want you to say anything you don’t mean, Severus.”

            “Of course I love you, you damned stubborn wolf!” Severus growled in exasperation. “Ask Lucius if you don’t trust me! I told him while I was busy making a drunken fool of myself over your disappearance. I’m sure he’d love to tell you all about it.”

            “You told Lucius?” Remus asked, surprised.

            “Of course! He’s been my best friend for-” Severus said with a hint of annoyance creeping in to his tone, only to be stopped by Remus’ lips pressing against his.

            Remus kissed Severus, and then pulled back and smiled at him. “Yes!” Then he kissed Severus again, this time deepening the kiss. Severus still seemed a little disgruntled, but he pulled Remus closer and kissed back. Feeling Severus’ tongue stroke along his, Remus moaned.

            He’d imagined, dreamed, fantasized for countless hours about hearing Severus say he loved him. He’d imagined a hundred different scenarios, a thousand variations on the words. But never had he imagined the words would be growled at him in exasperation while Severus glared at him like a particularly dense student in his Potions classroom. Remus found himself smiling, lips pressed to Severus’ lips as they parted to breathe. He might have never imagined it that way, but it was perfect. It was so like Severus, so wonderfully real and not just a dream or fantasy.

            “And what are you smiling about?” Severus asked testily, pulling back to look into Remus’ face.

            “We’re getting married,” Remus said, smiling brightly, overjoyed at the prospect.

            Severus grumbled, still a little disgruntled over how the conversation had gone. He hadn’t intended to ask Remus so soon, but the moment had just seemed right. Perhaps it had been Remus and Harry’s obvious care for him or perhaps it was a moment of uncharacteristic impatience, wanting his wolf to belong to him as soon as possible. In any case, he certainly hadn’t thought Remus would need the words to be said so soon. Didn’t he openly show Remus affection in front of Harry, Victoria, Lucius and Narcissa?

            “Gryffindors,” Severus muttered.

            “Poor Severus,” Remus said and then laughed. “A family full of Gryffindors for the Head of Slytherin!”

            “Well, we can only hope our next child will be in Slytherin so I won’t be so outnumbered,” Severus muttered, pulling Remus close to kiss him again.

            Both men froze as Severus’ words hit them. Remus pulled back and looked at Severus. “Our next child?”

            The thought of more children sent a pang through Severus heart, but he’d already opened himself up so much in the last few minutes, he couldn’t share that with Remus. “Of course,” he said arrogantly and then kissed Remus forcefully.

            Remus let it go, understanding Severus wasn’t used to opening his heart to someone. That Severus could say such a thing so easily, without thought, was enough for Remus to know they wanted the same thing. A real marriage, a family with little brothers and sisters for Harry.

            Remus lost himself in the kiss, letting Severus take control, knowing the other man needed it after feeling so vulnerable.

            Remus shivered in pleasure when Severus suddenly shoved him down on the bed and leaned over him, not breaking the kiss. He pushed his hands into Severus’ hair and groaned when Severus’ hands started drifting over his body.

            A sudden noise had both men turning towards the door to see Lucius, Narcissa and Harry standing in the doorway.

            “Well, Severus certainly seems to be feeling better,” Lucius drawled.

            Harry was bright red and he looked everywhere but at the two men on the bed.

            “At least they are still dressed this time, Harry,” Narcissa said sympathetically.

            “What?” Remus said and tried to sit up. Instead he managed to hit the arm Severus was propping himself up on, causing Severus to fall onto him knocking the breath out of him. He blushed furiously even as he and Severus struggled to untangle themselves.

            “Severus, really. Your son is in the room,” Lucius drawled with a smirk. “And from the sounds of things he’s already been traumatized by the sight of you and your Gryffindor-umph!” Lucius frowned at Harry and rubbed his stomach, where Harry had hit him, as Harry blushed brightly.

            Finally managing to untangle his limbs from Remus, Severus gave Lucius an arrogant look. “Well, Lucius, it seems in addition to the birth certificate Narcissa and Harry intend for you to falsify, you get to create a marriage certificate as well.”

            Lucius’ eyes widened. “You’ve proposed already?”

            “You told Lucius you were going to propose?” Remus asked, turning to Severus with as much shock as Lucius was showing.

            “Yes,” Severus said, answering both questions.

            “You are getting married?” Harry asked smiling so wide his face hurt.

            Remus blushed and, ignoring the Malfoys in the room, reached over and linked his hand with Severus’ hand. “Yes.” He would have asked if that was okay with Harry, but Harry was very obviously happy with the news.

            “Severus!” Narcissa exclaimed, voice full of exasperation. “I know I am good, but even I have my limits! How am I going to put together a wedding, an adoption and a soul binding ritual in only one night!”

            “Well,” Harry turned to her sympathetically. “Maybe you won’t have to. I know where I can get a time-turner so we can still make the wedding happen before the adoption, but will have more time to plan it. Oh! And I found a really cool spell we can use on pictures that will revert the images of those in the photo to younger versions of themselves. We can even choose how many years to go back.”

            “And if you choose an official who is old enough to have actually performed the ceremony, I can even modify his memory so that he will remember performing the ceremony on whatever date we wish to put on the marriage certificate,” Lucius added thoughtfully.

            Narcissa looked only slightly mollified. “Even so, time-turners have their limits. You can only go back so far.And the wedding needs to take place before the attack on Hogwarts! Merlin forbid if something goes wrong and...well, it will happen before the attack and that is simply that!” She gave the men in the room a stern, haughty look.

            “Great!” Harry said. “Tonight we’ll do the adoption and Three-Souls rituals, tomorrow I have to meet with the leaders of the werewolves and the vampires, so how about the wedding the day after tomorrow? Short notice, I know, but we can do a small ceremony now and then later we can do a proper wedding and call it a renewal of vows. I mean, we are going to tell people you two were originally married almost twenty years ago so a renewal of vows will be okay, especially when you can finally be together openly...” Harry trailed off thoughtfully and then blushed and looked at Remus and Severus. “I mean, if that’s okay?”

            “That will do nicely,” Severus said firmly. He was not going to wait to make Remus his, especially as long as it would take to put together an event the size he knew Narcissa would try to put together.

            “Yes, I think it will,” Narcissa said nodding. “That’s still not much time, however. I’ll have to leave choosing the official to Victoria. Lucius, I’ll need you to help with the cake and the photos and-”

            Suppressing a snicker at the brief flash of panic that crossed Lucius’ face, Harry cleared his throat. “You might have to work on that tomorrow, Narcissa. We still have two rituals to do tonight.”

            “The rituals should not take too long, Harry,” Lucius said, an edge of relief in his voice. “The blood adoption should be fairly quick and simple, though you may want to wait an hour or two between rituals to let everything...settle.”

            “Settle?” Harry asked with a frown.

            “Well, a blood adoption at your age will result in more...drastic changes,” Remus said apologetically. “When a blood adoption is done on say an infant, the changes take place over years as the child grows up. For someone who is pretty much an adult, the changes occur much quicker, usually a matter of hours. Doing an adoption for only one parent lessens that time somewhat, but it will still be...”

            “What he’s trying to say, Harry, is that it can be a bit painful to do this at your age,” Lucius said. “Your blood, your body...it will all change until you are physically what you would have grown into if you had been born to the one adopting you.”

            Harry shrugged. “Well, I’m certainly used to a lot of pain. At least this time something good will come out of it.” A sudden disturbing thought came to Harry and he frowned. Draco had admitted he liked Harry’s natural form better than his 'Potter’ form, but how would Draco like whatever changes would occur? Especially since the one thing Draco seemed to like the most about him in either form was the one thing that was definitely going to be lost after the adoption.

            “Harry? Have you changed your mind?” Remus asked, a mixture of sadness, understanding and concern in his voice.

            Harry shook himself. Draco had said he’d love him even if he wasn’t 'Harry Potter’ anymore and hopefully whatever was left the same would be enough to make up for the one change Harry knew he wouldn’t like. After all, he’d seen the things that had changed when he went from ‘Potter’ to ‘Snape’ and those changes only made him more attractive. If those stayed the same, he was sure Draco would still find him desirable. “No, I haven’t changed my mind. Id just thought of something I hadn’t considered before. But it’s okay, it’ll be fine.” Harry gave Remus a sincere smile. He and Draco would deal with the changes. They would be worth it to be Remus’ son.

            “Then perhaps we should get started,” Lucius said. “As I’d started to say, the adoption will not take very long, at least for the ritual, but you will need a little time afterwards to rest before you can perform the Three-Souls Ritual.”

            “Oh! And I have to leave around dawn,” Remus said suddenly. “I need to take a portkey to the werewolves. They agreed to meet at a place of our choosing.”

            “What? Just like that?” Harry asked surprised.

            “Well, I think they wanted to give you incentive to agree to their conditions,” Remus said. He wasn’t exactly sure how much he should say now. They really did need to get started on the rituals soon. He wasn’t going to relax until he knew for sure that Severus was safe.

            “Conditions?” Harry asked. “I’m guessing one is that I meet Greyback alone, like the vampire lord requested.”

            “Actually,” Remus said, “Greyback plans to bring one other werewolf to the meeting. And he wants me to come to the meeting with you. And Severus.”

            “Me?” Severus asked with a frown.

            “Makes sense actually,” Harry said with a frown. “As far as I know, you are the only one who can brew the Wolfsbane formula. They probably want you there to confirm you’ll go along with any promises I make about giving them access to the potion.”

            “As interesting as this is,” Lucius said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “I do believe I just said we need to start the rituals soon? Even more so now that we need to be finished by dawn,” he said pointedly.

            “We’ll perform the adoption in one of the downstairs sitting rooms,” Narcissa said. “It has a very comfortable chaise where Harry can rest. I’ve also cleared the connecting conference room and had Victoria start on setting up for the Three-Souls Ritual. While Harry is resting, we can each take turns to lay the foundations and protections.”

            Severus nudged Remus and got out of bed. He glared when Harry and Remus looked at him like he was going to fall over at any moment and led the way downstairs. Soon the five of them were in the sitting room that Narcissa had directed them to.

            Harry was surprised to see the small diagram drawn on the coffee table in salt. It was a simple diagram with a gold chalice, a silver chalice and a small wooden cup placed equal distances apart and surrounded by runes and other symbols. Harry recognized some of the symbols for rebirth, renewal, change and connection. There was a small dagger next to each chalice and several things mostly unidentifiable to Harry placed near each chalice. The items were different for each chalice. There were also two sheets of parchment set outside the diagram, one near each of the chalices.

            Narcissa and Lucius went next door to help Victoria and Harry was left looking nervously between Remus and Severus.

            “Harry, you should sit over there,” Severus said, pointing to the side of the table with the wooden cup. He moved to sit in front of the silver chalice, leaving Remus to sit in front of the gold chalice. “You should probably also change your appearance to...from your ‘Potter’ look.”

            Harry nodded and took off his glasses and switched to his natural form. He pulled and tugged at his clothes, trying to get comfortable with the suddenly ill-fitting clothes.

            “What are those for?” Harry asked, pulling on his shirt again, as each man picked up the parchment next to his chalice.

            “These are the ritual words we need to say,” Severus said absently as he read.

            “Oh. What about what I need to say?” Harry asked nervously.

            Remus smiled at him. “Harry, this ritual is usually performed with infants.”

            “Who can’t talk,” Harry said sheepishly in realization.

            Remus nodded and went back to reading. Harry was fidgeting nervously as the minutes went by and suddenly Remus gasped and looked up in alarm.

            “What?” Harry asked. He was nervous enough about this as it was. The panic on Remus’ face was certainly not helping settle him.

            “I just realized, what if Harry becomes a werewolf because of this?” Remus asked Severus fearfully.

            “It may not happen. After all, you have control over activating the infecting agent, remember? And if it does we can give him the new Wolfsbane formula. You said you now have complete control of your wolf and it took only one dose. He will be fine,” Severus said calmly. “If he still wants to do this knowing the risk...?”  
            “Of course I want to do this!” Harry said, frowning at them both. Then he realized what Severus said. “Wait, you perfected the Wolfsbane formula? That’s great! Why didn’t you tell me?”

            “We hadn’t really had time to, Harry,” Remus said soothingly. “But are you sure you want to risk it?”

            “I’m sure,” Harry said firmly. “In fact, why don’t we start now?” he said somewhat impatiently.

            “Very well,” Severus said. “If you are ready, Remus?”

            After one last look over his parchment, Remus nodded. “Ready.”

            Harry watched as Severus began with a small chant in Latin as he cut his hand and held it over the chalice, letting the blood drip into it. When the bleeding slowed, a healthy amount of blood filled the chalice. Then Remus did the same with his dagger and chalice. Harry swallowed nervously as he watched. He really hoped they weren’t going to do what he was suspecting they were going to do.

            Once Remus had blood in his chalice, Severus picked up the item nearest his chalice. It looked like a root or something. Actually, now that Harry thought about it, the items looked kind of like potion ingredients. The root, or whatever it was, that Severus picked up was added to his chalice as he said, “For the preservation of my blood.”

            Remus picked up what looked like a twig and as he added it to his chalice said, “For the continuation of my line.”

            Severus added a wood chip. “For my magic to pass on.”

            Remus added a small gem. “For my blood to overcome and replace.”

            Severus added a pinch of a finely ground substance. “For my child.”

            Remus added a similar substance of a different color. “For the creation of my child.”

            Then Severus and Remus touched their wands to their chalices and said a small chant together in Latin. The chalices began to glow and then they lifted off the table and moved towards the small wooden cup in front of Harry. Remus and Severus continued to chant as the chalices tilted and each poured blood into the wooden cup. Harry grimaced, knowing what would come next.

            Once the chalices returned to the table they stopped glowing and Severus and Remus stopped chanting. Together they reached across the table and picked up the cup in front of Harry. With another grimace, Harry wrapped his hands around the cup, and so around Remus’ and Severus’ hands. Harry took a deep breath and then drank the contents of the cup.

            As the cup was set back on the table, Harry smacked his lips and tilted his head. “Well, I’ve had potions that tasted worse.”

            As soon as he said the words, Harry felt a familiar sensation sweep over him. It was just a little more painful than usual and it lasted longer, but it felt similar to the sensations he felt when switching between his ‘Potter’form and his natural form.

            Harry blinked his eyes and looked at Severus and Remus curiously as he felt the last of the strange sensations fade. “I thought it was supposed to take an hour or better?” Harry said. He frowned. His voice sounded the same as before.

            Still somewhat dazed by the changes, Severus said, “Well, Lily used the blood adoption as the basis for the spell she created to change you to appear to be Potter’s son. Perhaps the numerous times you’ve switched back and forth has allowed your body to become somewhat familiar and used to the changes and to expedite the process.”

            “Well, what do I look like?” Harry asked, a mixture of nervousness and excitement in his voice.

            Remus and Severus shared a look before summoning a full length mirror from one corner of the room. Harry stood and even before he took one step, Harry noticed a difference in himself. He looked down at his body in disbelief and said, “Am I _taller_?” He twisted and stretched and noticed his clothes did seem even smaller than before. An embarrassing amount of skin was showing at his wrists and ankles and a larger stretch of skin was bare at his waist.

            Reaching the mirror, Harry noticed more changes. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as drastic a change as when he saw the difference in his form between James Potter as his father and Severus Snape as his father. He was indeed taller, but he still had a slender, toned physique. He was a bit more muscular, but overall his body was shaped basically the same.

            That made sense, Harry supposed, as both Remus and Severus had a similar build.

            Looking at smaller features, Harry noticed he still had the long, slender fingers he had to have inherited from Severus. His hair was still midnight black and straight as a blade. Finally, Harry gathered his courage and looked at his face. He blinked as he noticed his face seemed to have changed the most, but the changes were still not all that drastic.

            His nose had a slightly different shape to it, no better or worse than before just different. After a moment’s study, Harry decided his nose was a little slimmer and maybe just a bit longer. But that was the only change Harry could really define.

            All the small things that remained the same after Harry changed the very first time to his ‘Snape’ appearance, all the small things that kept Harry from feeling like he was looking at a completely different person, were now different. And now Harry _was_ looking at a completely different person. Numerous small, subtle changes that Harry mostly couldn’t define now shaped Harry into the son of Remus Lupin and Severus Snape.

            After taking a deep breath, Harry gathered the courage to look into his eyes. His eyes widened as he looked into the mirror. “They’re still green,” he breathed. His eyes _were_ still green, but they were a darker shade- a beautiful forest green rather than the bright emerald green of before.

            Remus and Severus came up behind him and looked over his shoulders, one on each side. They looked into the mirror and there was no mistaking the boy between them was their son. The resemblance left no room for doubt. Harry was still  incredibly handsome, but there was nothing left of Lily’s features. He looked just a little more masculine, his features a little sharper. He also looked just a bit older. It would certainly be easy for Harry to pass as a year older.

            “Elliott has green eyes, so I suppose that makes sense,” Remus said absently, still marveling over the sight of _his son_. “And the deeper green is more like the shade of his eyes.”

            “Elliott? Who is Elliott?” Harry asked with a frown, looking over his shoulder at Remus. “I thought your father’s name was John?”  
            “Ah,” Remus tried to smile but it came out more as a grimace. He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s...a bit of a long story, Harry.”

            “I believe we have time,” Severus said with a frown. “We can’t begin the Three-Souls ritual for another two hours. Harry took perhaps a quarter of an hour to complete the ritual. We have plenty of time for you to explain.”

            Remus ran a hand over his face and then nodded. “We should probably sit down for this.”

            Remus sat heavily on the sofa next to the fire. He felt Severus sit next to him as Harry dropped to the floor  in front of the sofa. “I don’t even know where to begin,” Remus said.

            “Start with who Elliott is,” Severus said.

            Remus smiled slightly at the hint of jealousy that crept into Severus’ voice. “Elliott is...” Remus sighed. “Elliott is Fenrir’s mate.”

            “Fenrir Greyback?” Harry asked in surprise.

            “No,” Remus sighed. “Fenrir Lupin.”  
            “Lupin?” Severus asked carefully.

            “Remember hearing that the Headmaster planned the attack on me when I was a child?” Remus said. “Well, apparently he thought it would be funny to have a father attack his own child.”

            Harry looked at Remus in shock, but Severus kept his face carefully neutral.

            “I’m not sure I understand, Remus,” Severus said softly.

            “Apparently, it’s not only possible to be born a werewolf, but it seems to be a trait passed down to many in the Lupin family. Control of the family goes to the uninfected who in turn do their best to protect the ‘hidden’ portion of the family,” Remus said.

            Severus paled as he remembered something he’d forgotten earlier when he and Remus had discussed having more children. “Werewolves are supposed to be-”

            “Unable to have children,” Remus nodded. “That’s a rumor spread by werewolves to protect their children.”

            Severus nodded and hid his relief. He wasn’t even surprised at how pleased he was to hear he and Remus would be able to have more children.

            “So Fenrir was part of this hidden part of the family?” Harry asked.

            Remus nodded. He explained what happened the night he was attacked and about how the trauma affected his memory. He explained  how his aunt-Fenrir’s sister-and her husband had their memories modified and how the attack didn’t ‘infect’ him, but rather the stress and trauma caused him to start transforming early.

            “And you believe them?” Severus asked carefully.

            “I remembered,” Remus said quietly, closing his eyes as memories rushed over him again. “I called Elliott ‘Daddy’ and Fenrir ‘Papa.’ We lived in a little cottage when I was growing up. We were happy.” Harry leaned forward and squeezed Remus’ knee in sympathy. Remus opened his eyes and smiled sadly. “And now you have Elliott’s eyes.” Remus reached out and stroked a finger down Harry’s cheek.

            Harry blinked and then his eyes widened as a thought struck him. Before he could say anything, however, there was a soft knock on the door to the connecting room and then Narcissa peeked into the room. “Is Harry okay?” she asked softly. Seeing Harry sitting on the floor she stepped further into the room. “Harry, how are you feeling?”  
            Harry smiled at her and stood. “I’m fine. It wasn’t bad at all. Are we ready for the next one then?”

            Narcissa smiled at him. “Yes, Harry, we are ready.” Her eyes drifted over him and her smile grew. “I must say, Severus and Remus make _lovely_ children.” She gave a soft sigh. “I’m going to have the most beautiful grandchildren!”

            Harry noticed he wasn’t the only one blushing. Remus was also bright red. Severus, however, merely smirked.

            “Um, you said everything was ready for the Three-Souls ritual now, didn’t you, Narcissa?” Harry asked, walking over to her.

            “Yes, we’re ready,” Narcissa said. She stood aside and held the door open for the others. Harry and Severus walked into the next room, but Remus waved Narcissa in ahead of him.

            Just as he started to leave the room, Remus heard a sound behind him. He spun around and frantically looked around the room. Nothing seemed out of place and nothing moved as he stood in the doorway.

            “Remus?” Narcissa asked. “Is everything alright?”

            “Yes,” Remus said, turning and giving her a weak smile. He looked over his shoulder and looked around the room once more before deciding he must have imagined the sound and closing the door behind him.

            In the other room Harry blinked and stared at the empty room. Everything had been removed from this former conference room, even the rugs from the floor and the paintings from the walls. Every surface of the room was covered in magical symbols, including the floor and ceiling. The layers of magic on the room were so thick Harry felt as if he could almost detect a glow to the room.

            “Wow,” Harry murmured. “This must have taken a lot of work.”

            “Yes,” Victoria said looking around the room. “The ritual itself is simple once it starts, but a great deal of preparation is required before you can even begin.”

            “So,” Harry said slightly nervously, trying to remember everything he’d read about the ritual they were about to perform. He was still reeling from the changes caused by the adoption and from everything Remus had shared. Harry shook his head to clear it.

            “So,” Harry said again. “All we have to do from here is stand in the right place, add a bit of blood, say a few words and wait.”

            Unfortunately, the one thing missing from all the books Harry could find on the ritual was details of what exactly happened after the ritual was initiated. The precise instructions for starting the ritual were written about in great detail in numerous texts but for some reason every single one ended in some vague descriptions along the lines of “say the spell and the magic invoked will create the bond.” There was not a single description of _how_ that bond was created or what to expect after speaking the necessary words.

            “Well, we will leave you to it,” Narcissa said, hugging Harry briefly. “Victoria, will you be staying at the Manor tonight?”

            “Yes, we do all the work and-” Lucius grumbled in annoyance.

            Harry smothered a grin and Narcissa shoved him out of the room ahead of her and Victoria. At the door Victoria and Narcissa stopped and turned around. Victoria quietly murmured a spell and Narcissa waved her wand, the end of which glowed as the door slowly closed on its own.

            “They aren’t staying?” Remus asked bemused.

            “They can’t,” Harry said. “Only the people that will be participating in the ritual can remain within the area designated for the ritual. That is, only the people that will be a part of the bond can stay.” Harry looked around the room again. “And they did a great job with this. Choosing to use an entire room was a good idea. Having the protections and wards not only layered, but on all sides including above us will help make the bond stronger.”

            “Meaning?” Severus asked with a frown as he examined the room.

            Harry, having done a great deal of research on the ritual, knew more about it than any of the others. He explained, “Well, there are certain symbols that need to be in place in specific positions, obviously, but there is also a certain amount of...discretion I guess you could call it when it comes to some wards and protections. Other than the specific diagram used in the ritual itself, the area used for the ritual needs to be surrounded by protections, mainly to prevent any interruption and to stop anyone from interfering.

            “Remember, this ritual was created to remove dark magics usually forced onto a person by someone or some _thing_ with ill intent. The protections could be, and in fact _should_ be, specific to the particular individual situation surrounding each ritual. Not only that, but the protections also keep the magic of the ritual contained. The more the magic is contained and forced back towards the people performing the ritual the stronger the bond created is. With all areas surrounding us covered in protections like this, and layered so strongly, I doubt little if any magic will escape. Meaning, all of the magic will go into creating the bond.”

            There was silence as the three men looked around the room studying the numerous protections Narcissa, Lucius and Victoria had layered the room with. Suddenly Remus turned to Severus with a grin.

            “Ready to bond then, Severus?” Remus asked, playfully reaching out and pulling Severus close, holding him against his chest.

            “Actually, Remus, I think Harry would prefer if we did that in private. For now, I think we need to perform this ritual,” Severus said silkily. He kissed Remus quickly and then shoved him towards one of the three circles in the diagram on the floor.

            Remus laughed and carefully made his way over to the circle, making sure not to step on any of the chalk lines of the diagram. Harry snickered even as he blushed and made his way over to another of the circles. He was so happy to see Remus and Severus together and happy it made up for the slight discomfort of seeing them kissing. He hoped eventually he’d see enough of that that some day he could see it and his mind wouldn’t immediately flash back to seeing them having sex on a desk.

            Severus watched his Gryffindors, as Lucius referred to them, carefully cross the room. When they were both standing inside a circle, Severus stepped into the last circle. The three of the looked at each other and then together they raised their wands. A quick cutting hex had each of them bleeding. As the blood welled up against each wrist, each man held his arm out so that the blood would drip onto the chalk the diagram had been drawn in. The first drops fell as they quietly spoke the invocation of the ritual, a brief request for solace and protection.

            As the drops of blood continued to fall, each man focused his mind on his reasons for performing the ritual. Their thoughts focused not on the logical reasons, but their emotions and what they felt for each other.

            Severus didn’t think about how he desperately wanted to be rid of the Dark Mark both to be freed from the connection to the madman that had marked him and to save his life. Instead, Severus focused on his love for his wolf and his son. He thought of how this ritual would tie him to Remus forever and how fiercely he wanted that tie, how much he wanted Remus to be bound to him beyond any hope of separation. He thought of how much he wanted to be in Harry’s life, how much he wanted to be Harry’s father, how much he wanted to be close to his son. He focused on the love he felt for Harry, both as his son and as the wonderful young man he’d come to know.

            Remus was filled with the love he felt for his family and the awe he was still feeling that these two incredible people wanted to be his. Severus, who he’d loved for so long, was going to be his mate and husband. Harry, the boy he’d come to love as his own, who he’d thought would be the closest he would come to ever having a child, _was_ his son now. Remus was so happy and felt so much love he felt he would explode trying to hold it in, so he didn’t. He poured every bit of his love and joy into the magic surrounding him.

            Harry finally understood why this part of the ritual was not described. There simply weren’t words that could ever hope to accurately describe what was happening. Like Remus and Severus, he poured love and happiness into the raising magic, focusing on how desperately he needed these two men in his life. He loved them and needed them and he would fight anyone, do anything to hold onto them and have them be a part of his life.

            And that was when the most amazing thing happened. As each man poured his thoughts and feelings into the magic surrounding them, the magic rose up like a strong wind and began swirling around them. It circled again and again as if it were trying to find a way out, growing stronger with each circuit. As the magic grew stronger and seemed to surround them, Severus, Remus and Harry realized it was no longer their own emotions they were feeling.

            They felt every emotion the other two had poured into the magic, they were surrounded by the love of each other. They felt the flicker of surprise threefold as the realization of what was happening hit them. And the magic continued to get stronger and the connection between them became more intense. The emotions of the others seeped into them until it felt like another part of them. The connection deepened and the emotions were felt deeper and deeper until they could feel each other’s _souls_ deep inside as if their souls had touched and a part of the other two had become a part of them.

            The magic swirled around them like a hurricane and they felt themselves drawn closer, bound tighter to each other. The intensity built reaching an almost painful level and then suddenly the magic stopped circling, stopped looking for a way to escape and turned on them. They felt the magic hit them in the chest, only distantly realizing they’d dropped to their knees as one. And then the magic swirled around again... _inside them_. It moved through them, from one to the other, through the connection between them. It was like feeling storm winds move right through their souls and it only seemed to grow stronger as it moved through them.

            And then the magic suddenly exploded within them in a bright flare that left them reeling before they slowly regained awareness.

            Harry’s hand shook as he slowly lifted it to wipe the tears from his face. He blinked as he slowly became aware of the world outside his body. Harry, Remus and Severus were no longer in their separate circles. They were in the center of the room and Harry felt Remus’ and Severus’ arms surrounding him, holding him between them in a tight hug. With a deep breath, Harry wrapped his arms around them and squeezed tight.

            Long minutes passed as they simple held each other. Finally they pulled back just enough to look around the room and they were startled to see the changes. All of the protections and wards were faded and almost completely gone and the original diagram that Narcissa, Lucius and Victoria had created was changed almost beyond recognition. Rather than three smaller circles, they stood in the center of one large circle surrounded by symbols and runes radiating outward almost like an image of the sun. Many of the symbols and runes were unfamiliar to even Severus and Remus.

            As they watched, the diagram faded too until there was not a trace of the chalk left in the room.

            Remus didn’t want to break the peaceful silence, but as he turned to Severus he needed to ask, “Did it work?”

            Harry turned to him and blinked in shock. “You didn’t feel it?”

             Remus smiled at him, remembering the feelings he’d felt coming from Harry. “I know the ritual worked, Harry. I meant, did it remove the Dark Mark as we’d hoped.”

            Severus pulled his arms away from Remus and Harry and lifted the sleeve of his robe. He almost didn’t want to look just in case the mark was still there. But it was gone. He ran his hand over the smooth, pale skin of his forearm, bare for the first time in over two decades. “It’s gone,” he whispered.

            “You’re free,” Remus said with a smile.

            Severus’ eyes darkened and he reached out to pull Remus close and kiss him. Before he could, however, Harry gave a loud whoop and threw his arms around him and Remus again. Remus grinned and wrapped his arms around Harry and Severus as best he could. Severus didn’t even bother to roll his eyes before raising his arms and joining in on the group hug.

            Harry pulled back as they heard a tentative knocking on the door. With a scowl, Severus pulled away and strode over to the door. He flung it open and looked into the hall with a raised eyebrow. Harry and Remus walked up behind him and looked over his shoulder.

            They were rather surprised to see two rather worried looking women and one irate man.

            “Well?” demanded Lucius.

            “Is everything okay?” Narcissa asked. “We heard howling and we tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t open.”

            Harry grinned at her. “It worked!” He hugged both Remus and Severus again, squeezing them tightly in his enthusiasm. He grinned as Lucius rolled his eyes and looked at Severus for confirmation.

            Severus held out his arm and pushed his sleeve back to show his bare forearm. He and Lucius shared a look that said more than words ever could. They’d both tried so hard and for so long to remove the offending mark from their bodies before finally resigning themselves to living with the dark magic for the rest of their lives.

            “Congratulations, Severus,” Lucius said quietly, seriously. Then he cleared his throat and looked at Remus. “Dawn was two hours ago. I hope whatever goodwill you’ve earned among the werewolves will be enough for them to overlook the delay.”

            Harry grinned. “I think they’ll forgive him.”


	46. New Allies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the change of formatting for this chapter. For some reason I had HUGE problems with the formatting for this chapter. If it's hard to read or you find any weird symbols, please let me know and I will try to sort it out.
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remus stumbled as he arrived in the alley, landing with one foot partly on a loose brick lying on the ground. Before he could regain his balance he felt strong arms wrap around him. He was hugged tightly before he was abruptly shoved back and held at arm's length.

 

"Remus! Are you okay? What happened?” Elliott asked frantically. 

 

Remus blinked as Elliott looked him over, apparently looking for any signs of injury if the worry on his face was anything to go by. He blinked when he caught sight of Fenrir over Elliott’s shoulder. He looked even more worried than Elliott, but he also seemed reluctant to touch Remus though it was obvious he wanted to from the way he kept reaching out and almost touching him. 

 

Remus grinned at them, still filled with the joy and elation he’d felt during the Three-Souls Ritual, and he reached out and pulled both men close in a tight hug. “Everything’s fine,” he said soothingly. “I’m sorry I was late. I just had to take care of something important with my family.”

 

“Is everything okay?” Elliott asked, still worried.

 

 Remus smiled at him as he let go of the two men. He smiled wider as he saw Fenrir looking stunned and pleased at the hug, and a bit disappointed when Remus let go. “Better than okay!” Remus chuckled. “But I’ll have to explain later. I wasn’t expecting you both to be here, but I’m glad you are.” Remus couldn’t help himself; he reached out and pulled Fenrir into another hug. Pulling back, he acted as if nothing had happened and continued, “If you are both free we can have that meeting now if you like.”

 

“Now?” Fenrir asked excitedly. He’d been shocked and overjoyed at the hugs Remus had given him and now Remus was telling him he didn’t even have to wait until this afternoon to meet his son’s family!

 

“Are you sure?” Elliott asked a little uncertainly, but a hint of excitement crept into his voice as well.

 

 Remus chuckled again. “It was Harry’s idea.” As the three of them had felt filled with energy after the ritual, Harry had suggested Remus see if Fenrir might be free for an earlier meeting.

 

“Let’s go then!” Fenrir said grinning widely.

 

 Remus smiled and shook his head, then held out an old tattered tie. As soon as the other two eagerly grabbed ahold, Remus activated the Portkey. 

 

The three of them arrived in a small windowless room that gave no hints as to where it was located. Not that they paid much attention to their surroundings. As soon as they arrived their eyes were draw to the two men standing near the door.

 

 Severus was frowning severely as one hand held Harry’s hair off of his forehead. Harry for his part was once again in his Potter form and returning the frown Severus was giving him. 

 

“I know, that’s what I was telling you. I don’t know why or how but-” Harry said, breaking off as he realized they were no longer alone. 

 

Severus’ frown deepened as he looked at the new arrivals, but he dropped his hand and said, “We will discuss this later.”

 

Harry nodded and smiled as Remus walked over to join them.

 

“Harry, Severus, allow me to introduce you to Fenrir Greyback, leader of the werewolves, and his mate Elliott. Fenrir, Elliott, I believe you’ve heard me mention Harry and Severus,” Remus said with a small smile.

 

 Despite the excitement shining in Elliott’s and Fenrir’s eyes Fenrir took a deep breath and said firmly, “Official business first.”

 

Harry tilted his head and looked at Fenrir curiously, but nodded. “Okay. Perhaps we should start with what Remus has told you...?”

 

“He said you had created a third side in the war, one that opposes both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore. He also mentioned something about a major event happening soon,” Fenrir said seriously. 

 

At that Severus gave Remus a sharp look. Remus gave him a sheepish smile in return and a little shrug. Harry nodded and said, “Did he give you any kind of details as to what our side intends or wants?”

 

“We were given the impression,” Elliott said, “that in exchange for us allying ourselves with this third side you would work to change all of the laws making our mere existence illegal and address much of the systematic persecution the Ministry promotes and encourages as well as helping improve the image of werewolves among the general population.”

 

“We were also told you had a new and improved version of the Wolfsbane potion. Remus led us to believe you would make this potion available to us,” Fenrir said, not even bothering to mention Remus said they would only be charged for the price of the ingredients for the potion. He knew better than to hold Remus to that as there was no way the Potions Master would agree to it.

 

 Harry nodded again. “Well, it sounds like he covered pretty much everything. I guess the only thing I could add is that we are trying to keep this third side a secret from the other two. That would mean we would expect your people to not only fight for us, but spy for us as well. Is there any chance then, that you would consider changing sides? Or was there anything you wanted me to clarify before you decide? Unless you need more time to decide?”

 

Fenrir crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. “We’d already pretty much decided to accept your offer. You are offering us even more than the Dark Lord, considering allying ourselves with you weighs far less on our consciences. However, I think we need to discuss the Wolfsbane potion.”

 

“Yes,” Remus said suddenly. “I’d forgotten to tell you, Severus. With the new formula, I can heal myself by changing. I’d honestly thought it was a muggle myth, but-“

 

“And how, exactly, did you discover this?” Severus asked in a dark, dangerous voice.

 

 Remus blinked. “Um...”

 

“He didn’t tell you?” Fenrir asked in surprise.

 

 Remus glared at him and then turned back to Severus with a slightly forced smile. “There was a slight disagreement with some of the members of Fenrir’s pack. It’s been taken care of and it’s nothing to worry about,” Remus said soothingly. From the way Severus glared at him he knew Severus didn’t believe him and he hurried to add, “But you know it made me think. If they are willing to join us, perhaps you could give at least some of them the potion before the-the major event? I don’t know if it would work without the full moon, but if so it could be a huge advantage for us.”

 

“As we told Remus,” Fenrir said gruffly, “We have some money saved up. I can think of at least six men who could use the potion more than the others. They are all high-ranking members of my pack and among those I trust most. If you can give the potion to them, even if we must wait for the full moon, I can guarantee our pack will follow you of their own will and not just because they are loyal to me.”

 

Severus frowned. He had not forgotten about Remus’ little revelation, but he was excited about the prospect of a new challenge now that he had perfected the Wolfsbane formula for Remus. “Hmm,” he said. “With the most recent formula I’ve created...if I adjust the strength...of course it would definitely not work on the night of a new moon, but we would be working with a waxing moon...”

 

After murmuring to himself for a few minutes, Severus nodded. “I believe I could adjust the formula in time for the event we have planned.”

 

Harry frowned. “What about that little project you were working on with Fred and George?”

 

“It no longer needs any input from me,” Severus said dismissively. “I’ve already left the rest in their hands and as the Dark Lord will no longer require my presence at meetings I will have time to work on this.”

 

“And the price?” Fenrir asked grimly. 

 

Severus frowned. “Most of the ingredients are rather common potions ingredients. It is really only the complexity of the potion that prevents any but a Potions Master from being able to brew it. I already have all of the ingredients in stock as it happens. Of course, as I shall have to experiment I would say I only have enough for one proper batch which will render fifteen doses.  The amount of ingredients I have to purchase would depend on how many you would want to receive the potion beyond those fifteen.”

 

Fenrir frowned. “And how much will you require to brew the potion?”

 

Severus’ kept any expression from his face. He was so used to working for both the Dark Lord and for Dumbledore without any form of compensation it had not even occurred to him that he would be offered payment for his efforts. “I believe your aid in the event we have planned will suffice,” he said after a moment.

 

 Fenrir blinked and looked at Harry and Remus for confirmation. Harry grinned at him and nodded. Remus smiled at Severus and said, “I’d thought that once the war was over, perhaps we could see if there was not some way to get the Ministry to pay for the potion.”

 

Harry nodded. “It would certainly be a public service and probably greatly reduce the number of newly infected people.”

 

Remus nodded. “Oh, and before I forget. Severus, when you have time perhaps you could also work on adjusting the potion for Fenrir? He was given an older version of the potion that didn’t work anywhere near as well as the one you’ve given me. I’m not sure if it’s possible toâ€¦overwrite the old potion in his system or something, but...”

 

Severus’ eyes shined at the thought of an even greater challenge. “I will not be able to work on it before the...event, but afterwards I would be able to.”

 

Fenrir nodded. Inside he was stunned. He had truly come prepared to pay nearly all of the money he’d saved up for the home he’d planned to build for his pack to get his hands on the new Wolfsbane potion-even after the family connection was revealed. He of all people knew family didn’t always overcome the fact that he was a werewolf. Even before his sister’s memories had been modified, she had held no real love for him. He’d been a duty and little more.

 

 Fenrir shook himself. “Well, if that covers all of the official business, let’s move on to...family business.” He grinned widely.

 

 Harry squared his shoulders and stepped forward. “So you’re Remy’s parents.” Harry’s chin came up and he looked at Fenrir challengingly. “Remy adopted me, you know.”

 

Fenrir grinned, delighted. “Making us your grandparents! Looking forward to taking over the Lupin family then are you?”

 

Harry looked startled. He looked over his shoulder at Severus and Remus and then turned back to Fenrir with a mischievous smile. “Actually with two fathers, there are two families that need heirs. I thought I’d be the Snape heir.” When Fenrir looked disappointed and hurt, Harry’s smile widened. “And their next child could be the Lupin heir. That way he or she could grow up learning from our grandparents all about the family. Would that be agreeable?”

 

Fenrir, catching on, grinned and held out his hand. “Agreed!”

 

Remus snorted in amusement as Harry and Fenrir shook hands and grinned at each other. 

 

“Brothers and sisters for me!” Harry said, grinning.

 

“And more grandkids for me!” Fenrir said, also grinning like a madman.

 

“YES!” They said together, high-fiving. 

 

“I suppose it’s a good thing Severus and I have already agreed we want more children,” Remus said dryly. 

 

 Elliott smiled ruefully at Remus at his mate’s antics, but he was pleased Harry was taking to Fenrir so quickly. 

 

 “There will be a wedding taking place at some point before those kids are born, won’t there?” Fenrir growled, glaring at Severus.

 

 Elliott groaned and smacked Fenrir on the arm. “Fen!” he hissed. “Remus said Severus wasn’t ready for-“

 

“As it happens,” Severus sneered at them, “We will be getting married tomorrow.”

 

Harry grinned at them. “You’ll be coming won’t you? We are going to have to have a small ceremony since we are forging a marriage certificate saying they’ve been married for a couple decades. We didn’t exactly do a legal adoption so there will be a birth certificate for me as their son rather than adoption papers. Also forged, but no one will know.”

 

“Of course we’re coming!” Fenrir said, nearly bouncing with excitement, eyes alight with glee.

 

 Elliott gave his mate a fond look before turning to Harry with a puzzled frown. “But how are you going to be their son by birth? Even with a blood adoption you would be recognized as Harry Potter.”

 

 Harry looked over his shoulder at his parents. Remus looked at Severus with his brows raised and Severus just gave a resigned sigh and nodded. Harry grinned and turned back to Elliott. Within moments, Harry had used a familiar spell and he no longer looked like ‘Harry Potter.’

 

 Elliott gasped and Fenrir gaped at him. The young man in front of them was the perfect mixture of the two men behind him. Elliott saw his own eyes looking back at him and he felt tears well up. 

 

 Harry bit his lip nervously. “We, um, haven’t decided on a name for me yet. I mean as Remus and Severus’ son. Severus always kind of liked Sebastian Snape, but I have a hard time thinking of myself as anyone but ‘Harry.’”

 

 Fenrir gasped and looked at Elliott excitedly. Elliott groaned, knowing what was coming.

 

 “Harrigan! Harrigan Sebastian Snape!” Fenrir said excitedly.

 

 Elliott sighed. “Fen, I hate it, why would I want to inflicted that awful name on anyone else?”

 

 “Pfft!” Fenrir said, waving his hand at Elliott. “It’s perfect! He can honor both the families he comes from that way!”

 

 “Your name’s ‘Harrigan’?” Remus asked Elliott, confused.

 

 Elliott groaned. “Yes, but don’t tell anyone. Harrigan Elliott Lupin. It was even worse before I married Fenrir, believe or not.”

 

 “But he’s going to go by ‘Harry’ so it won’t be so bad, Elliott,” Fenrir said, grinning goofily at his mate. 

 

Harry thought about it for a moment and then looked at his parents, excited. He rather liked it. Like Fenrir said, he could still be ‘Harry’ and he could honor both his fathers at the same time. “What do you think?” Harry asked them. “I mean, it’s your decision. Is it something you’d name your son?”

 

Remus gave Harry a small smile and said, “Let me discuss this with Severus.” He pulled Severus to one side of the room and put up a quick privacy charm. Then he turned to Severus. “What do you think?”

 

“I believe the advantages have been pointed out,” Severus said with a frown.

 

“But you don’t like it,” Remus said.

 

“It doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, but then neither did the name Lily put on his birth certificate. Harry Sebastian Tobias Snape,” Severus said, seeing Remus’ questioning look. “The only real problem I foresee is that it will be somewhat suspicious to have ‘Harry Potter’ disappear as Harry intends and have a different ‘Harry’ appear at the same time.”

 

“But Harry intends for our child to be a year older. And with a little help from some Polyjuice, we could easily convince people they are two separate people before Harry Potter disappears for good,” Remus said. 

 

Severus frowned for a moment as he thought it over. “We could also introduce him as ‘Sebastian’ and only his friends and family will call him ‘Harry.’” Seeing the look Remus was giving him, Severus frowned. “What?”

 

Remus cleared his throat and looked away. “Sebastian Harrigan Fenrir Snape?” he asked in a quiet, hesitant voice.

 

 Severus frowned thoughtfully and he repeated the name several times in his mind. He nodded once, sharply. “It is not completely atrocious and if he is to be my heir as it seems he plans, it will be acceptable.”

 

Remus grinned and leaned in and kissed Severus, his hands fisted in the front of Severus’ robes. Remembering that his parents and son were waiting for them, Remus pulled back. “Come on, let’s tell them.”

 

Seeing the nervous excitement on the faces of Harry and Fenrir and the slightly pleading look on Elliott’s face, Severus smirked and said, “Allow us to introduce you to our son, Sebastian Harrigan Fenrir Snape.” His smirked grew as the three blinked at him blankly for a moment.

 

“It’s perfect!” Harry cried out, grinning at his parents and then turning to his grandparents. 

 

Hearing the name they’d chosen, Elliott forgot all about his objections and reached over and started rubbing his hand up and down his mate’s back. Fenrir for his part was looking between them with his mouth hanging open. Suddenly, tears started flowing down his cheeks and he took a few steps forward and pulled both Remus and Severus into a tight hug.

 

 Severus frowned fiercely at the large werewolf holding him tightly. He looked over to see Remus smiling indulgently at Fenrir and rolled his eyes.

 

 When Fenrir finally pulled back, he wiped his face off and then turned and pulled Harry into a hug. Harry was startled. He was still not used to physical affection from anyone but Draco, but when Elliott joined in and hugged him as well, Harry blushed and hugged them back.

 

 When Fenrir pulled back, he frowned down at Harry and then started wagging his finger in Harry’s face. “Now, there’s something we need to talk about young man! It is completely disrespectful to go around addressing your parents by their names!”

 

Elliott grinned at Harry’s startled face. “Remy used to call us ‘Daddy’ and ‘Papa,’” he offered helpfully.

 

 Harry fidgeted nervously. “But what if they don’t-I mean, what if they aren’t ready for...?” he said miserably. 

 

“While the war necessitates that we cannot yet openly acknowledge our relationship,” Severus said carefully, “you can certainly address us as you like in private or with others who are already aware of our relationship.”

 

“Though, you certainly don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Remus said, frowning at Fenrir and Elliott.

 

 Harry grinned at them and turned to Elliott and Fenrir. “Dad and Father,” he said. “Remus is ‘Dad’ and Severus is ‘Father.’”

 

“Father?” Fenrir asked with a frown.

 

 Harry glared. “It suits him. It doesn’t mean we aren’t close or that I don’t love him!”

 

“It does suit him,” Elliott said soothingly. 

 

Harry nodded once and then grinned at them again. “So I’m guessing ‘Grandfather’ is out, but how about Grandpa and Granddad?”

 

*************************************

 

Remus smiled at the empty space where Fenrir and Elliott had stood. The two werewolves had been reluctant to leave and had only left because Elliott insisted they needed to buy proper robes before the wedding the next day.

 

“So what were you two discussing when I got back?” Remus asked as he turned to Harry and Severus.

 

“Oh, look!” Harry said, changing back to his ‘Potter’ form and pushing his hair off his forehead. After a few minutes he changed back to his natural form.

 

 Remus frowned as he tried to figure out what he was supposed to be looking at. After a few minutes he realized what Harry was talking about. “Your scar is gone!”

 

Harry nodded and dropped his hand. “It’s there whenever I change back to my Potter appearance but after the binding spells were removed the scar disappeared when I change to my natural form.”

 

“I suspect that is due to the spell Lily used,” Severus said thoughtfully. “The spell doesn’t take into account what your blood is or what your true appearance is; the spell specifically causes you to look as you would had you been the son of Lily and James Potter. That’s why you can still use it to return to your Potter form as you call it and why, even after Remus adopted you, you can still look like the son of Lily as well as James Potter.”

 

“How does that affect the scar?” Harry asked with a frown.

 

“I suspect if you had truly been their son then you would have had the scar for the rest of your life, so when the spell causes you to look like Harry Potter the scar is part of what it changes. In this case it causes the scar to appear even after you have rid yourself of the actual curse scar,” Severus said.

 

“How did he get rid of the curse scar, though, Severus?” Remus asked with a frown. “I thought curse scars were almost impossible to get rid of. I even researched it for Harry when I realized how much he hated it.”

 

“The same way I was able to remove Dumbledore’s spell even though it was not supposed to be possible to remove the spell without killing the person it had been cast on: Lily’s spell. The spell she used to imitate the blood connection to Potter had an element to it much like a kind of magical magnetism. It drew magic to it. Most likely this was so that wards and such would be drawn to the false blood connection and not penetrate deep enough to recognize his actual parentage,” Severus replied.

 

“So the curse scar, like Dumbledore’s spells, was drawn to the false blood connection to James Potter?” Harry asked with a frown. 

 

Severus nodded once. “And when we removed that false blood connection the curse scar was destroyed. It is only the appearance of the scar that returns when you change back into your ‘Potter’ form.”

 

Harry’s eyes widened. “Is that why I’ve not had any nightmares lately? The connection between our minds has been destroyed? I thought it was because I’d finally learned Occlumency and I’d managed to keep him out of my head.”

 

“I would say that the Occlumency prevented the visions and nightmares prior to removing the blood connection,” Severus said smoothly. “However, given we have not one, but two, Dark Lords to defeat I would consider the skill to have its uses yet.”

 

Harry shook his head. “I know that! I just hope I haven’t overestimated my skill in Occlumency.” Harry frowned worriedly. 

 

“Having tested you myself, I can assure you you have not,” Severus said.

 

“Which is good,” Remus interrupted, “because you will need strong Occlumency skills if you want to be able to look into the vampire lord’s eyes without fear of being enthralled. Speaking of the vampire lord, perhaps we should return to Malfoy Manor and rest before Harry has to go to his meeting.”

 

***************************************

 

When they returned to Malfoy Manor, they heard shouting and quickly followed the sound to the sitting room Narcissa and Lucius usually used when simply spending time together. Harry and Remus stopped in the doorway, preventing Severus from entering the room, shocked to see Draco yelling at his parents.

 

“And you actually let him! This is Fenrir Greyback! Even the Dark Lord fears and respects him and you just let Harry go off to meet the bastard without even-I thought Lupin was going to meet with him! It’s bad enough Harry has to meet with that vampire alone! And if that blood-sucking bastard even thinks about trying to get Harry-!” Draco ranted.

 

“Draco Lucius Malfoy! Watch your language!” Narcissa finally interrupted with a light frown. “And as you can see for yourself, Harry is just fine.”

 

Draco turned in the direction his mother indicated and then stared in shock. “Harry?” he whispered.

 

 Harry flushed as he realized he’d remained in his new natural form after the meeting with Fenrir and Elliott. He swallowed nervously as he watched Draco stare at him. He’d thought he would have some time to brace himself for Draco’s reaction before the blond found out about his new natural form. He certainly wasn’t expecting to have this discussion so soon. “Hey, Draco,” Harry said softly.

 

“What-? How-?” Draco asked, waving his hand in Harry’s direction.

 

“Remus adopted me. A blood adoption,” Harry said softly.

 

“But that takes months,” Draco said, still looking stunned.

 

“A legal one, yeah. But we didn’t do a legal adoption. We are going to create a fake marriage certificate saying they-Remy and Severus-have been married for almost twenty years and we are going to create a fake birth certificate for me as their son. I’m going to be a year older than ‘Harry Potter,’” Harry said with a weak attempt at a grin.

 

 Draco’s eyes widened.  “You can’t do that!” Draco pouted suddenly. “I don’t want to be younger than you.”

 

Harry chuckled and became serious. “So...do you-what do you think?” he asked softly.

 

 Draco looked at Harry again. Yes, much had changed from the Harry Potter of a year ago. Looking at him now, Draco would never have even guessed he was looking at Harry if he hadn’t gotten used to Harry’s ‘Snape’ form. But he had. He’d gotten to know and love Harry as Snape’s son and much of the physical changes that he’d liked were still the same on this new Harry.

 

 Harry was even taller now. He still had that straight, dark hair and those long fingers and that sexy voice. His nose had changed a bit and he’d lost some of the softness in his face that Draco was used to, but...in truth it was the adorably scruffy boy Draco first met in Madam Malkin’s that he fell in love with. Whether Harry looked like Harry Potter or Snape’s son or this new Snape-Lupin version...

 

Draco sniffed disdainfully. “I told you, I don’t care if you’re ‘Harry Potter’ or Sebastian Snape or...” Draco waved his hand at Harry.

 

“Sebastian Harrigan Fenrir Snape,” Harry said with a little smile, but then the smile melted away. “But what about-? I mean, my eyes are still green, but they aren’t the same shade you always liked.”

 

A light blush came to Draco’s face. “Actually, I like them. Your eyes have always darkened to that shade when we-“

 

“When you what?” Lucius interrupted, voice filled with suspicion. 

 

Draco jerked his head around, having forgotten his parents were still in the room. He gave his father a haughty look. “When we play Quidditch. What did you think I meant, Father?” Then he blinked and turned back to Harry. “Fenrir?” he asked, puzzled.

 

 Harry grinned ruefully. “Turns out Fenrir Greyback is actually Fenrir Lupin which now makes him my grandfather. One of them anyway. Oh, and they are both coming to the wedding tomorrow,” Harry said, turning to Narcissa.

 

“Wait, what wedding?” Draco asked, a hint of panic in his tone. “I thought we were getting married-“

 

“Not us,” Harry said quickly. “My parents!” Harry smiled and waved to the two men standing behind him. “I found a charm that can change the ages of people in photos and your father is going to alter the memory of the official who performs the ceremony so that he or she remembers performing the ceremony twenty years ago.”

 

“Oh,” Draco said, calming down. As wonderful as it would be to marry Harry so soon, Draco was looking forward to all of the plans they’d made for their wedding. It was going to be a wonderful ceremony and Draco wanted everything to be perfect. 

 

“You were certain they would forgive him,” Lucius said sourly and glared at Harry.

 

 Harry blinked and then realized what Lucius was referring to and he blushed slightly. Giving Lucius a sheepish smile, Harry said, “We were going to tell you, but as you said, Dad was already late so...”

 

Lucius continued to glare. He opened his mouth to say something, but Narcissa interrupted. “So I take it the meeting with the werewolves went well then?” She looked between Harry, Remus and Severus. 

 

“It went great!” Harry said. “They agreed to join our third side in the war and to fight with us and spy for us. Fred and George are finishing up work on the sleeping bombs so Father is free to work on a batch of the new Wolfsbane potion. His new formula has some pleasantly unexpected results and we’re going to give some of the high-ranking members of Fenrir’s pack the potion before the attack on Hogwarts. Oh!” Harry broke off as he realized something and he turned to his parents. “We never told them about the attack on Hogwarts. I mean, beyond that we have something big planned.”

 

“We can talk to them after the wedding, Harry,” Remus said. He smiled. “I think they were so excited about meeting my family they weren’t as focused on the plans for the war.”

 

Harry nodded, but continued to frown thoughtfully. 

 

“One thing at a time, Harry,” Remus said gently, putting a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Let’s focus on your upcoming meeting with the vampire lord before trying to finalize any plans for the attack. Once we have a better idea of what kind of allies we will have at that time, we will be better able to plan the attack.”

 

“Do we even know when the attack should be?” Harry asked. “And we need to give Mr. Weasley and Kingsley time to set up Macnair and then time for Macnair to report to Voldemort.”

 

“Actually, we will need the attack to happen the day after tomorrow,” Severus said gravely. “It is still early enough that we can contact Arthur and Kingsley and they will have time to attract Macnair’s attention before the end of the day.”

 

Victoria nodded. “Arthur has informed me that they have already begun to draw his attention. Macnair has been following him lately and staying late whenever Arthur works late. It should be easy enough for them to arrange to be overheard today.”

 

“And that still gives us time for the wedding tomorrow,” Narcissa said with a small nod. 

 

“Actually,” Victoria said, “I can go to the Ministry today to find just the right marriage officiator and while I’m there I can give Arthur the agreed upon signal.”

 

Harry frowned. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if someone sees you with Mr. Weasley? Or even the marriage officiator?”

 

Victoria shook her head. “I am neutral, Harry. And as such I have spent a great deal of time at the Ministry the past several months. I don’t have anyone to tell me what is going on or keep me informed of the inner workings of either side. I talk to anyone and everyone. No one will take any note of my presence or who I talk to, Harry. They’ve long since stopped paying attention. Well, at least since they realized they couldn’t use it as an opportunity to capture me to try to force Blaise to join them.” Victoria gave them a cold smile at that.

 

 Harry nodded. “Okay then. We have Victoria taking care of signaling Kingsley and Mr. Weasley and finding the marriage officiator. I have to go meet the vampire lord.”

 

“Draco can help Lucius and I finish the preparations for the wedding,” Narcissa said. “Lucius has already completed the marriage and birth certificate. Except for adding the appropriate name to the birth certificate of course, but we can take care of that shortly now that Severus and Remus have decided on a name. We will just need the official to sign and stamp them. Victoria already has a few names of officiators who covered birth certificates as well as marriages and given the secret nature of the relationship it will not seem suspicious for the same official to sign both.”

 

Harry nodded. “Sounds good.” He frowned. “We are going to have to have another meeting before the attack though. We may as well wait until after Voldemort has his Death Eater meeting so we know his plans, but that doesn’t give us much time.” Harry’s frown deepened. “We may as well plan for both the werewolf and vampire leaders to join us at the meeting. They can offer suggestions for how to best utilize their people during the attack. Of course, that’s if the vampire lord agrees to join us.”

 

Harry sighed and reached up to rub his temples. After waiting and planning for so long, it seemed like suddenly everything was happening at once.

 

“Harry,” Remus said gently. When Harry looked at him, Remus gave him a gentle, apologetic smile. “It seems you won’t have time to rest before meeting with the vampire lord, after all.” He nodded to the clock on the wall. 

 

Harry took a deep, calming breath and nodded. “Okay, I should get going.” He turned to Draco who had been silent as the discussion had turned to plans for the war. Draco pouted as Harry walked over to him. “Come on, Draco, I’m going to be fine. He wouldn’t have agreed to meet with me if he wasn’t willing to hear me out.”

 

“Unless he just wanted a chance to capture you and turn you over to the Dark Lord!” Draco said exasperated. 

 

Harry smiled. “I get the feeling he wouldn’t take the chance of putting Daphne’s mother in danger.” Harry wrapped his arms around Draco’s waist and gave him a passionate, but brief, kiss. “I’ll be fine,” Harry repeated. 

 

As Harry started to step back, Draco grabbed his arms and pulled him close again. He kissed Harry almost desperately before pulling back and glaring at Harry. “You’d better come back in the same shape you left!”

 

**************************************

 

Harry followed Adelaide Greengrass through a surprisingly cozy house. There were remnants here and there that hinted at the dark past of Adelaide’s late husband’s family, but Harry could see signs that that past was slowly being replaced by something much more pleasant.  Suddenly Adelaide stopped and gestured towards a door before turning and heading back the way they’d come. Harry watched her walk away and then turned and opened the door she’d indicated.

 

 Harry entered a well-lit library. There were dark, heavy pieces of furniture scattered throughout the room and full floor-to-ceiling shelves covered every wall of the room. Standing near a table towards the back of the room was a tall man who turned as Harry entered.

 

 The man had long, straight auburn hair pulled back with a simple black band. When the man’s dark eyes met Harry’s, the man raised a brow arrogantly. It struck Harry that this man was a curious mixture of Lucius Malfoy and Bill Weasley. Elegant and arrogant, but cool in a bad boy kind of way. 

 

Harry smiled and thought, Not hard to see what Daphne’s mother sees in him. Just as Harry smiled, he saw the man’s eyes narrow and felt a foreign presence brush against his mind. Not seeing any reason to fight a mental battle over that small bit of information, Harry let the vampire catch the thought. His smile grew as the vampire’s brows rose. 

 

“So you are the vampire lord,” Harry said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you...” Harry trailed off and waited to see if the man would introduce himself.

 

“Sinclair Alexander,” the man said smoothly, in a deep rich voice. He raised a clear wineglass to his lips and sipped the dark red liquid filling the glass. Harry figured it could be either wine or blood, but he wasn’t bothered either way. He seriously doubted Daphne’s mother would defend a man who would attack innocents as the Ministry insisted all vampires loved to do. Not to mention he had too much experience with the Ministry to believe anything they said, especially about those they considered ‘dark creatures.’

 

Harry thought he saw a spark of respect enter the man’s eyes as he swallowed, as if Harry had passed some kind of test.

 

“Adelaide has told me of your machinations, Mr. Potter. Creating a third side in this war is certainly a...bold move,” Sinclair said. After another sip, he set the glass on the table. “While I can agree with you that both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore are equally unpleasant options, I have serious doubts about your ability to successfully oppose them both.”

 

Harry nodded and said, “Okay. What are they?” Sinclair frowned so Harry clarified, “You said you had serious doubts. What are those doubts?”

 

Sinclair’s eyes narrowed. “Mr. Potter, both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore have a large number of followers. They also have, each in his own way, significant political power not to mention magical power. While you may be The-Boy-Who-Lived, do you truly believe you can go up against them both at the same time and come out the winner?”

 

“No,” Harry said with a smile. “But I don’t have to.” When Sinclair glared at him, Harry moved over and sat down in a plump armchair, waving at another chair across from him. Sinclair merely continued to glare, a soft hint of red bleeding into his dark eyes. Harry suppressed a shiver and tried to continue as if nothing were strange about glowing red eyes. It wasn’t as easy as he would have liked. Red eyes tended to remind him of Voldemort and some of their worst encounters. 

 

Taking a deep breath, Harry eyed the vampire and tried to decide just how much he could trust him. Harry was fairly certain that Daphne’s mother cared for this man, but he had no way to know how much the vampire cared for her. 

 

As Harry silently debated, Sinclair became impatient. Harry felt Sinclair try to look into his mind again. This time Harry didn’t let the man get away with it. This time he forced the vampire from his mind and, as Severus had taught him, managed to catch a glimpse into the other man’s mind in that moment when he won the brief mental battle. 

 

Harry was nearly overwhelmed with the love Sinclair felt not only for Adelaide Greengrass, but also for her daughters. Sinclair was filled with bitterness and a deep sorrow that he could not marry Adelaide and take care of her and her daughters, that he could not be a bigger part of their lives, a more permanent part of their lives. All because the Ministry had deemed him evil and ordered him hunted down and killed. ‘Dark creatures’ were considered less than human. Even the few that weren’t ordered to be murdered on sight still could not legally enter into any kind of relationship with a witch or wizard, much less marriage. 

 

As soon as the connection between their minds was gone, Sinclair was across the room with his hand on Harry’s throat. Harry fought to remain calm as the hand at his throat cut off his air and Sinclair snarled in his face, his eyes glowing a deep red.

 

 Harry struggled to speak, but found it impossible. After clearing his mind of all but the few words he wanted to share with the vampire, Harry looked into Sinclair’s eyes. He tried not to wince as the hand on his throat tightened and Sinclair once more pushed into his mind. As Harry let the vampire catch a peek into his mind, however, the hand slowly loosened until it dropped away.

 

 Harry gasped and panted softly, but otherwise remained still. The red glow in Sinclair’s eyes dimmed significantly, but did not disappear altogether as Sinclair turned and strode over to the wineglass he’d left on the table. The vampire quickly drained the glass before slowly turning back to Harry with a closed expression that gave away none of his thoughts.

 

 Having a better idea of what kind of man he was dealing with, Harry decided there was no harm in telling the vampire lord of his plans.

 

 Stretching his legs out, Harry said, “Let’s start with the first part: followers. As Adelaide may have told you I’ve already started recruiting from among the followers of both Voldemort and Dumbledore. If things go as planned, I will very shortly have the entirety of Dumbledore’s followers at my command. I also already have an alliance with the werewolves. That does still leave quite a few Death Eaters loyal to Voldemort, but again if things go as planned that number will be greatly reduced soon.

 

 “As for political power, well, as you said I am The-Boy-Who-Lived. As much as I hate the title, it does come with some power of its own. Not to mention I intend to have, indirectly, complete control over the Ministry before the war is over. One of the things I have promised the werewolves in exchange for them joining this third side is that I would get rid of the current laws making their very existence illegal. As you saw in my mind just now, I fully intend to do the same for vampires, if you are willing to join me.

 

 “I’ve also begun making plans for creating a better public image for the werewolves, to make their lives safer after the war. Again, I can do the same for vampires. After all, it hardly matters if you change the laws if people are still going to face prejudice and personal persecution. I won’t pretend it will be easy or that it will change the mind of every single person, but it should create enough of an impact that vampires and werewolves can live safely as part of the magical community. 

 

 “As far as the magical power of the two bastards I’m up against, well, I’ve already handled that as far as Dumbledore is concerned. I haven’t gotten around to Voldemort yet, but I figure that can wait until I have Dumbledore’s followers. As you pointed out, I probably couldn’t win if I fought both at the same time which is why I don’t intend to. I’ve already put into motion a plan to deal with Dumbledore. 

 

 “Voldemort will take a bit more work, I’ll grant you, but between the vampires, the werewolves, Dumbledore’s followers and a good portion of Voldemort’s followers, I think I can manage. If, of course, the vampires would care to join this third side in the war.” Harry leaned back in the chair and let Sinclair think over the information he’d offered. 

 

 Harry waited and the silence stretched out. Harry couldn’t see a clock, but he guessed at least an hour, perhaps two, had passed before Sinclair finally spoke. 

 

 “You plan to defeat Dumbledore and control the Ministry. I can’t help but to wonder if I would merely be trading one burden for another in joining you, Mr. Potter. Perhaps you are planning to rule the wizarding world yourself,” Sinclair said slowly.

 

 Harry scrunched up his nose in disgust. “Hardly! When this bloody war is over I plan to do just what I suspect you will: I’m going to get married and focus on spending time with my family. I hate politics, which is why I’ll be controlling the Ministry indirectly. And honestly, I’m only concerned with them finally doing the right thing when it comes to how people are treated. When it comes to actual policies and that crap, I’m not interested. I’ll leave that up to other people.”

 

 Sinclair stared at Harry intently, as if trying to decide how sincere Harry was being. After a while he slowly glided across the room towards Harry, but stopped short of actually sitting across from him. “And what exactly will you expect of us, Mr. Potter? You say you want us to join your side, but what does that entail?”

 

 Harry tilted his head and looked at Sinclair in confusion. “The same as it does for the werewolves: fight with us and spy for us,” he said with a small shrug.

 

 “We are not werewolves, Mr. Potter. We can be formidable opponents in a fight, true, but the Dark Lord prefers to use our powers for gathering information or for persuading certain powerful individuals to do as he needs. Or simply to drain his victims. As distasteful as it is to do so on his order, it does fulfill a need we can’t deny, Mr. Potter,” Sinclair said, coolly.

 

 Harry nodded and frowned thoughtfully. “Adelaide said most of the time vampires kill because they wait until the brink of starvation to, er, feed. But what would happen if a vampire fed regularly? Would they be able to do so without causing the...donor, shall we say, any harm?”

 

 “If a vampire were to feed regularly they could easily do so without causing any harm,” Sinclair said. “Add that the blood of a witch or wizard is more sustaining than the blood of a muggle and the availability of blood replenishing potions and a vampire could easily survive off the blood of a single willing partner without any harmful effects to the partner at all.”

 

 Harry nodded again. “And what about the ability to track the donor after you’ve ingested their blood? Is that truly an ability vampires possess? And do you have to take blood directly from a person or could someone, say, fill a cup and give it to you?”

 

 Sinclair perched on the arm of the armchair he’d been standing next to and crossed his arms as he looked at Harry thoughtfully. “The ability to track someone whose blood we’ve ingested is something that comes with time. It requires numerous feedings directly from a partner and is generally intended as a way to protect a willing partner. Many times it is only with by finding a willing partner that most vampires survive. Those who hunt us and seek to destroy us have often in the past taken or harmed our partners in an effort to hurt us.

 

 “There are a few other...side effects that come with regularly feeding from the same partner over time, but as you seem to have guessed we can in fact drink blood from an indirect source though in that case it works better when mixed with an alcoholic beverage such as wine or even ale. The stronger the alcohol the better it covers the unpleasant taste of cold blood. Of course, there is also the issue of blood coagulating.

 

 “Even with a regular supply of blood from an indirect source, we do need to feed directly every so often. How often depends on the age of the vampire. You see, as the blood cools it begins to lose its nutrient value for us. However, in connection with regular feedings directly from a willing partner it can be enough to not only sustain us but keep us at full strength.”

 

 “Huh,” Harry said. “I wonder if Severus would consider coming up with something to keep the blood from coagulating and from losing its nutrient value. We could keep vampires alive much easier if we came up with a regular source of blood for them in the form of drinks like wine or something. Of course, I’m not sure he could do anything for the taste. His potions taste awful,” Harry mused.

 

 Harry drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair he was sitting in. If he could just come up with a way to get willing donors for the vampires, he was pretty sure the vampire lord would give in and join them. But who was going to volunteer for that? He could probably get enough people to donate blood indirectly, but if Adelaide was right then most of Sinclair’s people were on the verge of starvation. They could use blood donated indirectly to build up enough of the vampires’ strength that they wouldn’t accidentally kill a person they fed directly from, but they would still need quite a few people to allow vampires to feed from them to build the vampires up to their full strength and health.

 

 “With enough blood supplemented from an indirect source, how many vampires could one person feed?” Harry asked with a frown. “And how many people would you need?”

 

 Sinclair shook his head. “With enough blood from indirect sources, we wouldn’t need any more people to feed from. As I said, most of us have survived because we’ve found willing partners. Some of our partners supply blood for multiple vampires. It’s not easy and at times it’s not comfortable, but we do what we need to.”

 

 Suddenly Harry grinned. He had the perfect idea.

 

“Absolutely not,” Sinclair said firmly.

 

 Harry blinked. “What? I didn’t even say anything yet!”

 

 “Perhaps not, but you do not live as long as I do without learning not to trust a grin like that,” Sinclair said, eyeing Harry suspiciously.

 

 “How old are you?” Harry asked curiously. When Sinclair merely gave Harry a cool, bland look, Harry squinted and then grinned. “At least 400 I’d say. And I bet you were a pirate!”

 

 Sinclair just snorted and shook his head. Harry noticed though it wasn’t a denial and laughed. 

 

 “Seriously, though,” Harry said. “I think I have a way for your people to get all of the blood they need, as long as you can cover the blood taken directly from a donor.” Harry frowned. “Unfortunately, it will take time. Most likely until after the war.” Harry shrugged apologetically. He wished he had more to offer, but it wasn’t like he had gallons of blood just lying around. “I wish I could offer more.”

 

 Sinclair tilted his head as he looked at Harry. “I actually believe you mean that, Mr. Potter.”

 

 Harry nodded. After a few minutes of silence, he said, “I don’t know what more I can say. If you need more time to think it over before you decide I can go. I certainly don’t want to rush you, but a decision before morning would be best. As I’ve told you, I’ve already set plans in motion.”

 

 Sinclair rose to his feet and gave Harry a cool, arrogant look. “I made my decision over two hours ago, Mr. Potter.”

 

 Harry gave an exasperated huff. “Did you? And what have you decided?”

 

 “There is no harm in joining you. After all, I hate Dumbledore and the Dark Lord equally and you are offering some rather nice incentives. And of course given your need to hide from both sides, if you fail and die horrifically no one will ever know my people’s loyalty was ever to any other.” Sinclair shrugged.

 


	47. Bonding

Harry grinned as he stepped smoothly from the fireplace in Malfoy Manor. A quick flick of his wand had his new dress robes clean. It had taken the help of both Victoria and Lucius, but Harry was able to get a set of dress robes that fit him in his natural form in time for his parents’ wedding. 

Harry began whistling as he left to search for his parents. He stopped whistling as he walked into the foyer. His parents and grandparents were frowning at Lucius, who for his part looked annoyed.

“I simply thought it would be much more suspicious for your son to not only be called ‘Harry’ but also to have the same birthday as ‘Harry Potter’ even if it is a year earlier. Besides, as you should know Severus, it is not uncommon for the birth certificate to be changed to reflect the adoption date as the child’s birth date,” Lucius said. “If it truly bothers you then I’ll have to hurry to make the change before Victoria arrives with the official-”

“I think we should ask Harry what he prefers,” Remus said. “I understand your reasons, Lucius, but Harry may not want to change his birthday.”

“Actually, I don’t mind,” Harry said as he walked further into the room. “I’ve never really had any kind of birthday celebration or party. At least, not that I remember. So it’s not like my birthday has ever been much different from any other day. What day did you change it to, Lucius?” Harry frowned as everyone simply stared at him, horrified. “What?” he asked with a frown.

Remus cleared his throat. “Lucius has your new birthday as the day the adoption took place, June twenty-eighth.”

“The birth certificate is also for a year prior to Harry Potter’s, as we agreed,” Lucius said. 

Harry nodded. “I’ll have to remember to be careful about that until I get used to being Sebastian all the time. Now, since that’s out of the way, I believe we have a wedding to get to!” Harry grinned.

“Oh, Harry, you did bring the time-turner, didn’t you?” Narcissa asked with a frown. she continued to look through the bags at her feet and mutter under her breath as she waitied for Harry’s answer.

“Actually, Victoria should be brining it with her. I asked Fred and George to get a message to Kingsley through their father. It should be a time-turner that can go back up to two weeks in increments of 24 hours,” Harry said. 

“Perfect!” Narcissa said, looking up briefly with a smile. “Then we can go back a full week. That should give us a wedding date of June twenty-second, of the year prior to Harry’s birth of course,” she said with a look at Lucius. Lucius gave a long sigh and took the parchments in his hands over to a side table that held ink and a quill along with a few other items. Narcissa nodded. “Which gives Remus and Severus time for a proper honeymoon!”

Harry snickered even as he blushed slightly. Elliott and Fenrir grinned at Remus who was also blushing. “Fen and I would be happy to have Harry stay with us while you have your honeymoon,” Elliott said. “If we’re going back to the twentieth, we won’t be able to stay at our house the entire time, but we could take a few days to maybe see some sights?”

“Oh! And with that little trick Harry can do with pictures, we can have some pictures of our grandson as a little kid!” Fenrir said excitedly. “We can take him to some of the museums we took Remus to when he was little. And it’s been warm enough for the beach the last week or so.”

“Do you think we could go to the zoo?” Harry asked, excited. “I only got to go once as a kid and there was this incident with a snake.” Harry trailed off and blushed. 

“I think we can fit it in,” Elliott said indulgently. “Though I think we should leave a few things for your parents to do with you. It wouldn’t be fair if we only have pictures of you as a little kid when you are with me and Fen.”

“Sounds great!” Harry said. He didn’t care that he was probably too old to be so excited about going to the beach and the zoo. He never got to go on any kind of outings, other than that one disastrous trip to the zoo and visiting Bill in Egypt. Egypt was great, but it would be nice to do the kind of normal things most people had done as kids.

“Do you really think that wise, given that there is a war going on?” Severus said coolly with a frown. He didn’t want to disappoint Harry, but he would rather Harry was disappointed than hurt or killed.

Elliott gave him an understanding smile. “We will stick to muggle areas until it’s safe for us to return to our home. When we learned you intended to use a time-turner we avoided going back to our home so we didn’t have to work too hard to avoid ourselves.”

“Besides, I don’t think anyone will look at him and think Harry Potter,” Fenrir said. “He looks nothing like that at the moment and there’s no reason anyone should recognize him as your son if we stay in muggle areas.”

Severus reluctantly nodded. Harry gave a happy shout and hugged his father. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ll be careful, I promise!”

“See that you are,” Severus said. He gingerly hugged Harry back. 

“Perhaps,” Remus said hesitantly. “Perhaps we could take the last couple days and spend them doing things with Harry? That will still give us a few days for our honeymoon and we can always take a longer honeymoon after ‘renewing our vows’ once the war is over.”

“We could always push back the wedding a few more days,” Narcissa offered. She ignored the sound of displeasure that came from Lucius at this announcement.

At that moment, Victoria appeared in the foyer with an elderly wizard holding onto her arm. Harry blinked at the vacant look on the man’s face. “Is he okay?” Harry asked. The man didn’t look capable of signing his own name, much less capable of performing a wedding.

“It’s merely a mild confundus charm,” Victoria said. “Easiest way to get him here and keep him unaware both of where and when the wedding will take place.”

Narcissa nodded and then looked back to Remus and Severus. “So shall we push the wedding back?”

Severus smirked at Lucius when the man growled, but said, “I believe our current time frame will suffice. While more time would be preferable, I don’t believe we should tempt fate. Not while both the Dark Lord and the Headmaster are still to be dealt with. As Remus said, we can take more time after the war for our family.” 

Remus and Harry grinned and exchanged a teary look at hearing Severus describe them as a family. Remus cleared his throat and wrapped arm around Severus’ waist. “Then let’s get married!”

Under Narcissa’s supervision, everyone grabbed items and bags and then crowded in a circle. Once in place, Victoria brought out the time-turner. “Kingsley said this one should work a bit like a portkey, in that we only need to have everyone grab ahold of the chain. This time-turner works in twenty-four hour increments so we need to be certain the foyer was empty at this time on the day we are going back to.” With a nod and a date from Narcissa, Victoria brought the marriage officiator’s hand to the chain and began to turn the time-turner.

Harry squeezed his eyes closed as the world seemed to spin in reverse and time moved backwards. He took a slow, deep breath as he felt the world settle around him. As soon as it did, Narcissa stepped back and started giving directions as she led the way to the room she’d picked out for the wedding.

“Victoria, you can leave the official here until time for the wedding,” Narcissa said, opening the door to a very small, rather dark room. She led the way next door and when he walked in, Harry gasped. “I know,” Narcissa said with a sigh as she looked around the room critically. “But we have been in and out of the library this past week and I tend to take tea in the conservatory and the garden often and can’t be certain I wasn’t in either during this time.”

“It’s beautiful,” Harry said, still stunned. 

The room wasn’t overly large, but the skylights and the wall of windows on one side of the room managed to make the room appear spacious. The room had light wooden floors and had live plants scattered throughout. The furniture was white, but accented with throw pillows in tan, bronze, dark brown and, surprisingly, deep red. The same colors appeared in a large area rug in the center of the sitting area in front of the windows. 

Narcissa gave Severus a small smile. “Given that Severus is marrying a Gryffindor it seemed a good choice. Now, I’ll need everyone’s help until we have most of the basics taken care of and then the grooms can go get ready.”

Over the next hour, Harry came to the conclusion that he should definitely include Narcissa in any kind of strategy sessions they have for the war. Everyone was kept busy as Narcissa issued orders in between spells and the room quickly transformed from a lovely little dayroom into a beautiful reception hall. The furniture of the sitting area was moved to one side of the room and the live plants were arranged in front of the large window so that it almost appeared as if the room were open to the outside with nature spilling into the room.

Finally Narcissa stopped giving orders. Victoria went to check on the official and the men took a moment to admire the changes as Narcissa looked over the room critically. Harry was in awe of the transformation and suddenly couldn’t wait to see what she would do for his and Draco’s wedding. It was going to be stunning. 

“Well, that will do for now, I suppose,” Narcissa said. “Severus, Remus, why don’t you go get ready while I take care of finishing touches? Lucius can show you to the rooms where you can get ready.”

Harry turned to his family nervously. “Well, since Dad has Granddad and Grandpa and Father has Lucius, I think I’ll stay here and set up the camera, if that’s alright?” He looked between his parents hoping they wouldn’t be upset. But how could he possibly chose one over the other?

“Of course that will be fine, dear,” Narcissa said. “The advice friends and parents give while helping ready a groom for his wedding is definitely not meant for the ears of the groom’s child. And I rather think there’s no need for you to be further exposed to that part of your parents’ lives.” Narcissa gave Harry a gentle smile as he blushed and looked away.

“Further exposed?” Elliot said, looking both amused and intrigued. 

“Um, well,” Harry stuttered for a moment before clearing his throat. “Dad, Father, good luck with those three. I’ll be waiting right out here with Narcissa when you’re ready.” Harry smiled and then went over and gave each of his parents a hug. He watched as Lucius led them from the room and then began setting up the camera he’d brought, acquired at the same time as his dress robes. He checked the spells he’d set on the camera again as Narcissa moved around the room making small changes.

  


*****************************************************************************

Severus ignored Lucius’ smirk as he stood in front of the full length mirror and inspected his image. He once more considered pulling his hair back, but remembered Remus liked it when he left his hair down. Severus frowned as he pulled on his cuffs. 

“I suppose you may as well get it over with, Lucius,” Severus said. 

“What could you mean, Severus?” Lucius said smoothly, continuing to smirk. When Severus just glared at him, his smirk grew. “Do you remember helping me get ready for my wedding, Severus?”

“Yes, and I remember wanting to hex you then as well,” Severus said sourly, returning his gaze to his reflection. 

Lucius’ smirk eased into a genuine smile as he walked over and put his hand on Severus’ shoulder. “I’m truly happy for you, Severus. I have years to remind you of the advice you’ve given me on family matters,” Lucius smirked for a second before becoming serious. “After everything that happened with Lily, I know you’d given up on the idea of having a family of your own.”

“Yes, and as always Fate has Her own ideas,” Severus said. 

“Surely you are not upset,” Lucius said with a frown. “I would think this is a pleasant change of pace.”

Severus snorted. “You’ve been my friend long enough to know what kind of luck I have, Lucius. Things go well only to set me up for disappointment or loss. That I have such good luck with Harry and Remus leads me to think things will go terribly wrong, very soon.”

Lucius didn’t argue. The unfortunate fact was that Severus  had always had the worst of luck. “All the more reason to take every advantage of the good fortune you have now,” Lucius said seriously. 

The two men shared a solemn look in the mirror. With the war going on, it was all to easy to imagine any number of ways they could lose their families.

  


***********************************************************************

  


Remus smiled nervously at his parents as he came out of the bathroom. He had no idea just what kind of layout the Manor had but was grateful to have a bedroom with an en suite to get ready in. As Elliot and Fenrir smiled back at him and Fenrir even teared up a bit, Remus was hit with a strange feeling. He wondered if Harry had ever had this moment of almost surrealism when he found out about Severus. A man he’d feared for most of his life and here he was in tears on Remus’ behalf.

“You look wonderful!” Elliot said. He crossed the room and gently pushed Remus hands aside and straightened the collar of the robes. “These robes were an excellent choice.”

Fenrir smiled. “Almost the same color as the robes I wore when I married Elliot.”

“Well, of course! It brings out the gold in those lovely eyes,” Elliot said, smiling at Remus as he continued to help straighten out the robes here and there.

Remus blushed and looked at Fenrir, who he was surprised to see was also blushing. Remus blinked as he noticed for the first time that he really did share the same eye color with Fenrir.

“Now,” Elliot said with a grin as he let his hands rest on Remus’ shoulders. “I suppose you don’t need too much advice given your age and the fact that you already have a son with your groom.”

Fenrir snorted. “Nonsense. You can never have enough advice.” He came up behind Elliot and wrapped his hands around his mate’s waist, leaning over his shoulder and giving Remus an earnest look. “Treasure every moment you get with your husband. Remember you love him even when you want to hit him over the head with one of his cauldrons.” Fenrir ignored Elliot rolling his eyes and jabbing his elbow back into Fenrir’s ribs. “Take every chance you get to have time alone with your husband and time together as a family. And remember, whenever you get around to having more kids, your parents are always here to take them for a weekend so you and your husband can get some sleep. Or have some much overdue, really good sex.”

“Fen!” Elliot said, laughing.

“Ah, thank you for the advice,” Remus said, smiling despite his blush. “I’ll try to remember that.”

  


****************************************************************************

  


“Lucius, what have you said to Severus? He looks ready for a funeral, not his wedding!”

Harry looked up from the camera to see Narcissa glaring. Looking over his shoulder he saw his father and Lucius had come into the room and both men look grim. “Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind?” Harry asked horrified at the thought.

“What? Of course not!” Severus said, glaring at his son. 

“Good,” Harry said relieved. 

“You might wish to try looking a little happier or your groom will come to the same conclusion, Severus,” Narcissa said chidingly.

Instead of smiling, a look of annoyance came to Severus’ face. “I’ll be much happier once this wedding is done and Remus and I are actually married.”

“Looking forward to the honeymoon are you?” Fenrir said with a grin as he came into the room with Elliot and Remus. 

Harry smiled as he quickly lifted the camera and snapped a picture of Remus standing between Elliot and Fenrir while he blushed brightly. He then turned slightly to get a picture of Lucius smirking while Severus gave his groom a heated look. 

“You’re both ready. Excellent,” Victoria said as she brought the official into the room. Harry was pleased to see the man looked a bit more focused than when he arrived. There was still something a bit off about the look in his eyes, but when Harry gave Victoria a questioning glance she merely shook her head.

“Right! Well, ready for a wedding are we?” the official asked with a wide smile. He couldn’t seem to quite look directly at any of them, but as he didn’t seem bothered by it Harry decided he had better things to focus on.

“Of course. If you would?” Narcissa asked, gesturing towards the window that would be the backdrop for the ceremony.

“Yes, yes,” the official said cheerfully. “Quite lovely. Ah, always a pleasure to put happiness and love first, despite the obstacles the world provides!” The man continued talking about love and happiness and how he loved performing these kinds of ceremonies as he took his place and brought out his wand.

Harry snapped picture after picture as the official smiled and Severus and Remus took their places. He took pictures of Lucius and Narcissa as they stood behind and slightly the the side of Severus and of Fenrir and Elliot as they did the same for Remus. He even turned and snapped a picture of Victoria, who was standing next to him as they watched the ceremony. 

Remus smiled as he looked at Severus. He had to blink back tears at the thought that they were actually getting married. Severus for his part, while pleased with the small ceremony, was eager to have the wedding done with so that Remus was finally officially his. 

“Please join hands,” the official said.

Remus felt something in him melt as Severus didn’t even hesitate. The warmth from the hands in his, the firm hold Severus had on his hands, made Remus think of the emotions he felt from Severus during the Three Souls Ritual. He squeezed Severus’ hands lightly and gave him a small smile as he squeezed back. Remus never could have imagined life could be so good for him.

“Ah, young love,” the official sighed. He appeared not to notice the looks this comment earned him from the grooms. He raised his wand and held it over Severus’ and Remus’ joined hands. 

The official gave a small chant, used in almost all clandestine weddings and requested by Severus, that would ensure once the grooms began saying their vows the wedding could not be interrupted or stopped. Once the chant was finished a warm light spread from Remus and Severus’ joined hands and quickly covered their whole bodies. The official gasped as bright gold sparks began shooting from the tip of his wand. 

Suddenly, a large spark shot across the room and landed on the marriage and birth certificates waiting on a side table for the official’s signature. They rose from the table and began to glow with the same warm light that was surrounding Remus and Severus. Harry got pictures of it all only to lower the camera when he realized he was also glowing.

Harry’s attention was drawn to Victoria as the woman swore. Turning his attention in the direction she was looking, he saw the official was clear-eyed and staring at the glowing, floating parchments in shock.

“This has only happened twice before in all of my sixty years of officiating marriages,” the official spoke with a tone of awe in his voice. 

“Perhaps you would care to tell us precisely what is going on?” Severus asked tightly. He still held Remus’ hands and did not even look away from Remus’ eyes as he questioned the official.

The official broke out into a wide smile and said with tears in his eyes, “This is no longer a wedding. This is a bonding, which I sincerely hope you are ready for as the bond is already in place. The magic is now only waiting for your vows and then you will be officially bonded for all time. You will find you have not a marriage certificate but a proclamation of bonding.”

“A bonding?” Lucius asked, shock in his voice. “But that is-”

“Rare,” Narcissa finished. “I have not actually heard of a true bonding in many years.”

“Ah, I knew you two were special!” The official beamed at Remus and Severus. Then he frowned and looked around. After a moment, the frown disappeared and he sent Victoria a knowing smile. “Ah, one of those is it. Well, as I am a hopeless romantic and this is the first bonding I’ve seen in over three decades, I’ll be happy to help in any way I can. I only request the full story.” He smiled again. “As I said, I’m a hopeless romantic. Love stories are how I deal with the stress and difficulties of life. Especially now. Oh my.”

Harry smiled slightly, a little nervously. The official gave him a wide-eyed look and then began smiling again, with a hint of amusement in his eye. “Usually, these type of weddings take place a bit sooner after the child has been born,” the official said.

“Um, why am I glowing too?” Harry asked.

“I’m not entirely certain, young man, but why don’t we see if we can get all of this straightened out?” The official gestured his wand, which was still shooting golden sparks, towards the floating parchments. 

They slowly floated over to him. As they stopped in front of him, a slight wave of his wand had the parchments turned so that he could read them. It took a few tense moments as the official read and then he flicked his wand and the parchments moved towards a side table, still glowing. The documents continued to float just above the table.

“Well, this is rather unusual,” the official said. “The bond that has formed is unlike anything I’ve seen before. As I said I’ve only seen two bondings before in my life, but there were similarities between them that I assumed must be true of all bondings. Apparently that is not the case. 

“This bond is not just a bond of love between two people. It is fierce, protective and...well, manipulative. Not in a bad way, but in that it is focused on changing the record of events to reflect the story you’ve created. I don’t know the actual events, but your bonding has managed to not only ensure your bonding is registered and legal as of twenty years ago, but your son’s birth certificate is emblazoned with a special seal that is even more rare than a bonding. It marks him as a direct manifestation of your soul deep bond of love and commitment. Truly amazing. And I dare say most likely the reason you are also glowing , young man.” The official smiled at Harry again.

Harry frowned. “A direct manifestation of the bond? What does that mean?”

“It means you are the result of the consummation of the bond,” the official said. “You were conceived by the physical act which cemented the bond.”

“Oh.” Harry blushed. “But why is that something that needs a special seal or whatever?”

“Because it is a special event. You are created from a soul connection between your parents. This makes you quite special young man,” the official said. “Not will you be very strong, magically, but you will find you have special gifts that are beyond what others might be capable of. There is a record of one such person who possessed a gift for healing. It is said that this person could heal any injury, reverse any curse and even save a person from the Killing Curse should she get to them quickly enough after they were hit with the Curse. Now, the truth of that I can’t verify, but I would be greatly surprised if you did not find you have great gifts.”

“But,” Harry said with a frown. He gave his parents an uneasy look and then turned back to the official. “I don’t think that will be the case. I was adopted. By Remy.”

The official merely continued to smile. “It would seem that the bond has chosen to change that.”

Harry felt himself pale. “What do you mean it changed it?” he demanded.

“A blood adoption can make you their child biologically,” the official said. “However, this bond has chosen to take it a step further. You are now their child by blood and by soul. And what more is there to being their child as surely as if born to them?”

Harry opened his mouth, but closed it without speaking.

“Are you saying,” Lucius drawled, “that essentially the bond has made true precisely what we intended to present as the truth?”

“Quite right. And,” the official said, giving Victoria a knowing look, “it will also allow me to say you were married twenty years ago and had a son a year later, even under Veritaserum. As legally that is the case. Or it will be once this ceremony is complete. Are you two doing alright there?”

“Quite,” Severus gritted out. “As important as all of this is, perhaps we could finish the ceremony?”

Harry noticed the flush on the faces of both men and started to become concerned. “Are you two okay?”

“Just fine, Harry,” Remus said breathlessly. 

“Are you sure?” Harry asked, even more concerned.

“We will be fine,” Severus growled. “If we could get on with it?”

The official chuckled. “Right, right. I’d forgotten that little side effect.”

“Side effect? What do you mean? What’s wrong?” Harry asked.

“Nothing is wrong. Though I do hope you did not have a reception planned.” The official chuckled again. “You see once initiated like this the bond will be pushing to be complete. Or perhaps I should say it is pushing to complete the matters that will have it officially recognized as it is already established. In this case, we need to finish this ceremony and they will need to leave rather quickly to get on with the honeymoon.”

Fenrir laughed. “What married couple doesn’t want to skip straight to the honeymoon?” He turned to Elliot and leered. Elliot rolled his eyes, but reached over and slipped an arm around his mate’s waist. 

“Behave, Fen,” Elliot said. 

Severus growled, “The ceremony?”

“Of course,” the official said. “Though at this point there is little for me to do. Once your vows are complete I’ll sign the forms and the bond will take care of the rest.” The official cleared his throat and became more solemn. “A bond is a sacred connection. With these vows you are bound for all time, in this life and beyond, and you will share all the joys and sorrows to come. Will you commit yourself to this bond?”

“I commit myself heart, body and soul,” Severus said. “ I will share of myself freely and will support you through all the trials to come. I will remain faithful to our bond and to our family, putting both before all else. On my magic, so will it be for all eternity.”

Remus’ eyes widened as he listened to Severus’ vows. He’d never thought to hear such deep promises of commitment. For him to swear on his magic, to risk losing his magic should he fail in any way to uphold his vows, was completely stunning. Remus blinked back tears as he tried to remember the words he’d planned for his vows. 

“And yes, I love you,” Severus added, almost testily.

Remus gave a watery laugh. “I love you too, Severus. I commit myself heart, body and soul. I swear I will put you and our family first. I will do everything in my power to protect you and our family from any danger or difficulty we may face. I will be your friend and your husband and I will always support you and be there for you no matter where life takes us. I promise to always treasure the life we share and I will never take you or our family for granted. On my magic, so will it be for all eternity.”

The glow surrounding Remus and Severus flashed brighter for just a moment. Without waiting for the official, the two men leaned in and shared a deep kiss. As their lips touched the light flashed again and Harry felt a warm tingle spread throughout his entire body. The proclamation of bonding and the birth certificate darted across the room and seemed to dance in front of the official’s face. 

The official chuckled as Remus and Severus continued to kiss. Using his wand, with the golden sparks still shooting from the end, the official signed his name. As soon as he’d signed both documents they pulsed once and then disappeared. 

Severus and Remus ended their kiss. Both were flushed and out of breath. They had eyes only for each other and only seemed distantly aware that there was anyone else in the room.

“Well, the documents have filed themselves, saving me the trouble,” the official said. “And now, I think these two should be getting somewhere more private before the bond distracts them to the point they forget there are other people in the room.” The old man chuckled as he gazed fondly at the two newly wed men. 

Harry laughed as he continued taking pictures. He’d gotten some great pictures of the vows and that kiss. He hoped the glow showed up in the pictures so no one could doubt the connection these two men shared. How lucky was he that he’d gone from having no family and no real friends to having some great friends, two parents who were  bonded and even grandparents. 

“Right,” Remus said breathlessly, not taking his eyes off of his husband. “I think Severus and I will be off now. Take care of Harry for us, will you? Love you, Harry. We’ll see you in a few days.”

“Don’t get into any trouble,” Severus growled. 

The two men left quickly.

Harry laughed and then set about helping Narcissa clean up while Victoria and Lucius spoke to the official. Elliot and Fenrir just stood around awkwardly for a few minutes before Narcissa suggested they put the furniture and the plants back where they belonged. Harry and Narcissa spoke quietly while they worked and the room was quickly returned to the way it was before the ceremony. 

“So, Harry,” Elliott said as he and Fenrir finished and came over to where Harry was standing with Narcissa. “Are you ready to go? We can stop and pick up some clothes for you if you need.”

“Actually, I figured I would need to stay somewhere so I packed a few things,” Harry said. He smiled nervously at his grandparents. While he was excited about getting to have a family and to spend time doing normal everyday things he’d missed out on when he was younger, he didn’t really know how to act. With his parents, he’d known them already and they’d slowly built their relationship. He didn’t know Fenrir or Elliott and as much as he was looking forward to getting to know them it was a little unnerving to suddenly be staying with them.

“It’s going to be an unusually warm day tomorrow if I remember correctly so how about we hit the beach tomorrow?” Elliott suggested smiling warmly. “We still have a few hours to hit the zoo today if you were feeling up to it. Or was there something else you’d like to do today?”

“The zoo sounds great,” Harry said. “Um, I was talking with Narcissa and I was wondering… would you be upset if I tried to get some testing done this week too? See, I was planning to take OWLs and NEWTs as Sebastian so I could have my own life after the war and not have to be ‘Harry Potter’ anymore. I thought maybe I could take some tests during the mornings and we could do fun things after as a reward for getting the tests done?” Harry broke off and bit his lip to keep from rambling on.

“That’s fine with us, Harry, but do you have time to set up testing?” Elliott asked with a small, concerned frown.

“Actually, I can help with that,” the marriage officiator said cheerfully as he came up behind Harry. “Since it seems I’m on vacation for the next week I may as well make myself useful. OWLs and NEWTs was it? Do you have a list of what you’d like to take?”

“I could write one out. Are you sure you don’t mind?” Harry asked in surprise.

“Certainly not,” the official said. He smiled at Harry. “Why don’t I schedule your tests for you? I know a few of the people responsible for testing. Just let me know what times you have set aside for other activities and I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks!” Harry said. He turned to Elliott and Fenrir. “You don’t mind do you?”

“Of course not!” Fenrir said. “We can help you study. When Remy was little, Elliott worked as a tutor for students who had to re-take their OWLs or NEWTs during summer.” Fenrir grinned proudly at his mate.

“Really?” Harry asked. He looked at Elliott curiously and Elliott gave him a small smile and shrugged. “I’d appreciate any help I can get. I’m hoping to get some really good scores.” Harry was determined to do his parents proud. 

“Actually, Harry, I can make the list and help with scheduling the test,” Narcissa said. “That way you can spend the rest of the day relaxing and then tomorrow morning you can stop by and we can talk about what you want to get done this week.”

Harry smiled at the look of relief that crossed Lucius’ face at that. He suspected Narcissa needed something to keep busy with the plans for his and Draco’s wedding mostly settled. “If you are sure you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it.”

Narcissa said, “Excellent! At this point, I think the OWLs should be no problem at all for you, Harry. Best to just get them all over with at once, don’t you think?” 

“With all of the help I’ve been getting from you and Victoria, I think I should be able to get the OWLs done in one day,” Harry said with a nod. “And if possible, I want to get as many NEWTs done as I can without killing myself this week. Well, and I want to spend time with my grandparents.” Harry frowned.

“Leave it to me, Harry,” Narcissa said. “We’ll talk in the morning about your options. For now, go have fun!” Narcissa waved Harry towards the door.

Getting the hint, Harry pecked a quick kiss on Narcissa’s cheek. She blinked in surprise. “Thanks for all of your help, Narcissa. I’ll see you in the morning. So, the zoo?” He turned to his grandparents with a smile.

Elliot and Fenrir grinned. “Why don’t we stop by the cottage we rented to change into muggle clothes?” Elliott asked. 

“That sounds-oh!” Harry turned back to Narcissa. “I completely forgot! What about that one thing we were talking about?”

Narcissa frowned slightly and then her expression cleared as she remembered what she and Harry had discussed. “I will of course take that into consideration when scheduling the tests.”

“Great!” Harry grinned. His eyes sparkled as he turned to Fenrir and Elliott. “I had an idea if you were interested?”

“Oh you are definitely Remy’s son,” Elliott laughed. He nudged Fenrir in the side. “And where did Remy get that from I wonder?”

Fenrir was slightly teary-eyed as he reached out and ruffled Harry’s hair. “Come on, kiddo. Why don’t you explain while we get ready?”


	48. Honeymoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone who has read and commented on this work. I have had a lot going on and have not been able to write as much as I would have liked in the past few years, but seeing the comments for this fic has been a great motivation to keep working on it. I *DO* plan to finish all of my fics. I'm so sorry it is taking so long to work on them! For now, I'm working to finish this fic and then I *WILL* be continuing to work on other fics I have started. 
> 
> Chapter 50 is about half finished and I hope to have it up in the next week or so. I wish I could promise it sooner, but it is on it's way!
> 
> Thank you again to everyone who is still reading this fic!!!  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus was on fire. He’d never felt such need and it was all he could do to wait until he and Remus arrived at Spinner’s End. As soon as Remus stepped from the fireplace after him, he jerked Remus into his arms and kissed him fiercely. Tongues sliding against each other, bodies rubbing together, Remus and Severus held each other tightly. Remus moaned and started pulling at Severus’ clothes, wanting to stroke bare skin.

Getting frustrated, Remus tore his mouth away from Severus’ and demanded, “Off. Take them off!”

Severus grunted and started kissing Remus’ neck. He had no plans to take his hands off of his husband. Just that thought drove his need higher and he ran his hands down Remus’ back and pulled his hips tighter against his own.

Remus growled and without thinking about it his nails lengthened into claws and he sliced through the clothing in his way. Tattered strips of cloth fluttered to the ground until all of Severus’ clothes were on the floor. Remus felt his wolf growl in pleasure in the back of his mind as Remus ran his hands along Severus’ back. It wasn’t enough though. After a quick glance around the room, Remus grabbed Severus’ waist and began walking him back towards the nearby sofa. He firmly pulled Severus’ hands off of him and shoved Severus down on the sofa.

Severus stared up at Remus as the man began to shed his clothes. Remus’ eyes were glowing amber and the irises were strangely shaped. His nails were still lengthened into claws and his clothes were shredded as he jerked them off of his body. Rather than being frightened, Severus only felt an ache for Remus’ touch so strong he started to get off the sofa and go to him.

Remus growled and pushed him down, climbing on top of Severus. He shoved his hand into Severus’ hair and pulled his head back then began licking along Severus’ neck. Severus closed his eyes and tilted his head in encouragement, his hands gripping Remus’ shoulders tight enough to leave bruises. He shivered as Remus growled again and nipped his neck.

“Mine,” Remus growled. He kept one hand in Severus’ hair and the other slid over Severus’ side then moved along his hip possessively. He bit Severus’ neck harder. “Mine.” This time an edge of warning crept into Remus’ tone. Severus just moaned in pleasure and moved his hips back and forth moaning again at the friction on his prick. Remus grip tightened on Severus’ hip preventing him from moving. He leaned back and looked Severus in the eyes. “Mine!”

Severus panted and licked his lips. Even the sight of Remus’ elongated canines did nothing but excite him. “Yours,” he panted. “And you are mine.”

Remus gave a pleased rumble and his hand slipped from Severus’ hip to squeeze his ass. He paused for the briefest moment as he felt something brush his fingertips. Sliding his hand further behind Severus, he traced his fingers along Severus’ crease and felt the hard protrusion. Gripping the toy, Remus pulled slightly before pushing it back in. Feeling Severus shiver under him, he continued to play with the toy as he licked along Severus’ neck again.

“Remus!” Severus snapped, jerking his hips up. His need for release had become almost painful. He lifted one leg and wrapped it around Remus’ hip.

Remus was tempted to pull the toy out and simply give Severus what they both wanted desperately, but his wolf would not have it. Suddenly he pulled away. Severus tried to hold on to him, but Remus kissed him and then pulled away again. This time he let Severus sit up and reach for him again. He kissed Severus, slipping his tongue into Severus’ mouth and keeping the sensuous dance of tongues going while he pulled Severus onto the floor next to the sofa. Remus gently bit Severus’ lip before kissing and licking his way across his cheek to his ear. Remus licked the shell of Severus’ ear and then gently tugged on the lobe with his teeth before licking his way down Severus neck. He not so gently bit Severus’ shoulder before turning him slightly in his arms.

Severus groaned in frustration as the new position made it difficult for him to continue to stroke and touch Remus. Without warning, he felt Remus’ hand between his shoulders and he was shoved face down over the coffee table. His hair was pushed aside and he felt Remus’ teeth on the nape of his neck as Remus began playing with the toy he’d put in when getting ready for the wedding. He grabbed the edge of the table and pushed his hips back as Remus slowly pulled the toy out and then shoved it back in. “Remus!” Severus shouted.

“You’re mine, Severus. No one else will ever know what it feels like to have you in their arms, in their bed,” Remus said, his voice deeper than Severus had ever heard. Severus just groaned, then gasped as the toy was pulled out and quickly replaced with Remus’ cock. In one slow, hard thrust Remus buried himself completely. Severus shook with the need for more as Remus just stopped for a moment and held Severus tightly.

“Remus!” Severus moaned.

With one hand buried in Severus’ hair and the other hand on Severus’ shoulder holding him down Remus pulled back and quickly slammed his hips forward. Severus groaned and tried to push back against Remus’ thrust but was firmly held in place, completely in Remus’ control. Severus tightened his grip on the table and grunted as Remus pounded into him.

“So beautiful,” Remus panted in Severus’ ear. Remus used his knees to push Severus’ knees further apart. The change in position had Remus hitting Severus’ sweet spot and it was all Severus needed. His whole body tightened and he shouted Remus’ name as his orgasm hit him. “My beautiful mate,” Remus growled right before sinking his teeth into Severus’ shoulder. He thrust once more then held himself deep in Severus as they both rode the waves of pleasure.

It was several minutes later when Remus finally pulled his teeth free from Severus’ shoulder. He licked the wound until the blood slowed and then stopped flowing. He dropped a kiss to the bite mark as he reluctantly pulled out. He released the grip he had on Severus’ hair and slowly dragged his hand through the silky strands in a soothing motion. “Severus?” Remus kissed Severus’ shoulder again and stroked a hand down along his side. The only response he received was deep even breathing. Leaning over to look into his mate’s face, Remus smiled. Remus gave his sleeping lover a quick kiss then pulled back and smiled ruefully at the mess they’d made. His eyes widened as he caught sight of the strips of cloth that had been their wedding robes.

“Let’s not mention that to Narcissa, hmm?” Remus murmured to Severus’ sleeping form as he reached for his wand. He performed a few quick cleaning charms, blushing when he gathered the remains of their clothes. Not wanting to wake his husband, Remus grabbed their wands and then carefully picked Severus up. He’d never been to Spinner’s End, but he had no trouble finding the master bedroom with the trail of flower petals leading the way. Remus had trouble imagining Severus using flower petals then remembered Narcissa had offered to clean and stock the house for the honeymoon.

Reaching the bedroom, Remus carefully laid Severus on the bed and set their wands on the nightstand. He pulled the blankets up from the foot of the bed and climbed in next to Severus. Remus sighed in contentment and then gave a sleepy chuckle as Severus grumbled in his sleep then turned over and threw an arm over Remus’ waist and moved closer so that they shared the same pillow. Remus wrapped an arm around Severus’ waist in return and drifted off with a smile on his face.

Severus woke slowly. Memories of the night before gradually filled his mind as various aches made themselves known. He felt warm breaths feather against his face and when he finally opened his eyes he found Remus’ sleeping face so close their noses were almost touching. Other parts were very much awake and pressed firmly against Severus. Severus narrowed his eyes and stared at Remus for several long moments. Taking care not to wake the werewolf, he pushed Remus onto his back. Remus frowned and murmured in his sleep, not wanting to let go of Severus’ waist, but finally turned over.

Severus kissed Remus gently until he settled back into a deep sleep and then began kissing his way down Remus’ body. He let his hands roam freely, gliding over Remus’ shoulders and slipping though the sparse brown curls on his chest, before settling on Remus waist as Severus slipped down under the blanket. He kissed Remus stomach as he grasped Remus’ cock with one hand and began to slowly stroke him. Remus murmured in pleasure but didn’t wake. Deciding it was pointless to continue to tease when Remus wasn’t awake to enjoy it, Severus took Remus’ cock in his mouth. He sucked hard, but kept a slow pace.

Finally Remus’ moaned loudly and the blanket was flipped back and Remus slid his hands into Severus’ hair. Severus raised an eyebrow and managed to give Remus a stern look with his mouth still full of Remus’ cock. After one more slow bob of his head, Severus pulled his mouth off of Remus. Remus moaned in disappointment. He kept his hands in Severus’ hair as Severus rose up and kissed him. He tried to pull Severus down on top of him, but Severus pushed away.

“I don’t think so, wolf,” Severus said darkly.

“Severus?” Remus asked only to groan as Severus slowly lowered himself on Remus’ cock.

Severus put his hands on Remus chest and stared into Remus’ eyes as raised and lowered himself. Remus settled his hands on Severus’ waist and began thrusting up as Severus lowered himself. It wasn’t long before the slow pace quickened into a frenzied rush for completion. The room was filled with the sounds of their excitement, the moans and groans a chorus of pleasure. Their eyes never left each other even when Remus slipped one hand from Severus’ waist to stroke him and they came together, Remus giving a hoarse shout as he filled Severus. Severus gasped and painted Remus’ chest with his release.

As Remus drifted in the after glow, Severus glared down at him and panted, “That was how last night was supposed to go, wolf.”

Remus flushed but couldn’t stop himself from reaching up and caressing his bite mark on Severus’ shoulder. “Sorry, love,” he said softly, his voice full of love and affection for his husband. Remus’ smiled and looked at the ring on the hand caressing Severus’ shoulder.

Severus grunted and leaned down to kiss Remus. He slipped his tongue into Remus mouth and slowly stroked Remus tongue with his own before lifting off of Remus and lying down beside him. Remus turned and threw and arm over Severus waist and kissed his neck. Severus grunted again. “I require a shower and food before any further…activities,” Severus grumbled. Remus laughed softly and rubbed his nose along Severus’ cheek then gave a deep contented sigh.

*********************************************************************************************************

Harry laughed at Fenrir’s expression as water dripped down his face and soaked his shirt. Elliott smothered a chuckle and watched with amusement dancing in his deep green eyes. Harry tossed a water balloon in his direction, but Elliott just laughed and said, “Oh no you don’t!” He waved his wand, sending the balloon right back at Harry. Harry ducked down and then ran across the lawn as the balloon came back around. At the last second, he ducked down behind Fenrir and the balloon hit Fenrir in the shoulder.

“Hey!” Fenrir said, giving Elliott a pitiful look.

“Sorry, honey,” Elliott said with a laugh. “Your grandson is a sneaky one!”

“He’s certainly an energetic one!” Fenrir said. He started to smile at Harry but was interrupted by a huge yawn. “I’m tired just from the studying and waking up early! How do you still have so much energy after taking two NEWTs today, kiddo?”

“It wasn’t too bad today,” Harry said. “One was mostly a lot of writing and the other was rather fun. I’m thinking I might actually try for the Mastery in Tegmenancy.”

“The kid thinks a NEWT was fun,” Fenrir muttered and shook his head. “That definitely comes from you.” Fenrir slipped his arm around his mate and kissed his head.

Elliott smiled and then looked over at Harry who was grinning at them. “Come on, Harry. We should probably put that ointment on now.”

Harry sighed and reached up to touch his nose lightly. He winced as his fingers touched the bright pink skin on his nose. “We’re not telling Narcissa right?”

Fenrir shook his head. “I think we were all lectured enough the first time she found out we let you get sunburned. I’m sure she’d have even more to say about two sunburns in one week.”

Elliott nudged his mate. “You can’t fault her for being concerned for Harry. Harry, are you sure you want to try for another NEWT today? I know you want to get them done but I think you might be pushing yourself a bit too hard.” Elliott shot Harry a worried glance.

Harry shook his head. “I forgot to tell you. It was postponed so I don’t have to do another test until tomorrow.” Harry stretched his arms over his head as the three of them headed inside Fenrir and Elliott’s cottage. The past few days had been amazing. Harry had quickly gotten over his nervousness and slight discomfort at being around the two older men and they’d had so much fun together. They’d gone on outings, sure. But they’d also had a lot of fun just spending time together around the cottage. Harry was surprised at how much Elliott reminded him of Remus as Elliott helped him study for his NEWTs. The big man had gotten teary when Harry had pointed out Elliott and Remus had very similar teaching methods. There were some things Harry had avoided talking about, however. He figured tonight was probably a good time to finally bring up the war. He wasn’t looking forward to the discussion since it had been nice to just forget about things for a while, but they couldn’t put it off forever.

“Now what’s that look for, kiddo? I know the stuff stinks, but it works fast,” Fenrir said as they entered the kitchen and Elliott went to a cabinet to get out the sunburn ointment.

Harry gave him a tired smile and sat across from Fenrir at the tiny kitchen table. “I was thinking it might be time to talk about some things.”

“Aw, do we have to?” Fenrir whined, before sighing and getting serious. He looked at Harry and nodded. “Okay, kiddo.”

Harry started to talk, but had to wait for Elliott to put the ointment on his face and neck. After Elliott finished and put the ointment away, he sat next to his mate and they looked at Harry expectantly. “We never actually discussed the major event we have planned and I just realized we won’t have a lot of time once this vacation of sorts is over.” Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Basically, we’ve set up an attack on Hogwarts.” The looks of shock were to be expected.

“Why would you do that?” Fenrir asked carefully.

Harry sighed again. “The attack has a few different purposes. Mainly, it’s going to be our cover so we can kill Dumbledore. It also-”

“Wait! You’re going to do what, exactly?” Fenrir interrupted. He frowned deeply at Harry.

Harry returned his frown and tilted his head and looked at Fenrir in puzzlement. “We’re going to kill Dumbledore.”

“Not that I object to that,” Fenrir said. “Just the opposite, that bastard needs to die. But how are you planning to deal with Dumbledore while the Dark Lord is attacking Hogwarts? And what about the children?”

Harry nodded. “All taken into consideration. We have a plan to keep the students in their dorms and hopefully unaware of the fight until after it’s over. A few seventh year students may be helping with the fight, however. I’ll be focusing on Dumbledore, but other people will focus on the Dark Lord’s followers or other tasks. As I was saying the attack serves several purposes. One, kill Dumbledore. Two, get rid of as many of the Dark Lord’s loyal followers as we can. Three, start building some good will among people for the werewolves and vampires. It won’t be easy, but the main objective, killing Dumbledore, we’ve been planning as carefully as we can.”

“Harry,” Elliott said quietly, voice filled with concern. “That man may be a sick bastard, but he’s powerful. You shouldn’t underestimate him.”

Harry shook his head. “I’m not. We’ve actually… well, we poisoned Dumbledore. We’ve timed the attack just so that he will have a moment of extreme weakness and be vulnerable and, hopefully, more easily dealt with though I’m not holding my breath on that one.”

“So, what? You plan to set him in front of the Dark Lord just when he gets weak?” Fenrir asked with a frown.

Harry shook his head again. “No. I have to be the one to-”

“What!” Both men shouted before Harry could finish. “Why would you have to be the one to kill him?” Elliott asked. “Don’t you have enough to worry about?”

“Harry, you don’t have to do this!” Fenrir leaned across the table towards Harry. “Let me do it. You have it all set up for us to be there anyway, let me kill that bastard.”

“You can’t,” Harry sighed. He briefly explained about the prophecy and how he could apply it to both Dumbledore as well as Voldemort. “So you see, I have to do it. Just to make sure.”

Fenrir ran a hand over his face and sighed heavily. He looked at Harry with such sympathy Harry blinked in surprise. “I’m sorry, kiddo.”

Harry shrugged off the sympathy uncomfortably. “That’s just how it is.” Harry cleared his throat and tried to move the conversation along. “The attack has to happen on the first so we only have one day to do any planning since we can’t make any plans until after we know what Voldemort is doing. The only good thing about that is that Voldemort won’t have much more time to plan either so hopefully it won’t be much of a surprise when things fall apart on him. We’re going to have a planning session as soon as Voldemort finishes his and finalize our plans then. For now I guess I just wanted you guys to know what’s going on and maybe give you some time to think of ways to pick off some of Voldemort’s loyal followers without getting caught.”

Both men nodded. Fenrir stared at the table with a frown on his face and Elliott kept running his hand up and down Fenrir’s back soothingly. After a while the silence was too much for Harry and he cleared his throat. When the two men looked at him he gave them a small smile. “How about some good news? Or at least, something I hope you’ll like.” Harry’s smile widened as the two men looked at him curiously. “How would you two like to be there when your first grandchild is born?”

****************************************************************************************************

Remus smiled as he set the tray of food on a relatively clean stretch of table. As Severus stopped stirring the cauldron, he walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around his mate’s waist and set his chin on Severus’ shoulder. “How’s it going?”

Severus surprised Remus by turning his head and kissing him before turning his attention back to the cauldron. “It would be easier to test if I had some blood from the men this is intended for,” Severus murmured frowning at the cauldron. “But by all indications, this version should work without the benefit of a full moon.”

“Does this mean I can steal you away from your lab for a while?” Remus asked with a soft smile.

Severus turned and looked at Remus and raised an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting I have been neglecting you?” he asked silkily.

Remus laughed. No it definitely could not be said Severus had neglected him. The first three days of their honeymoon they’d barely left the bedroom except to eat and shower. It had only been after lunch on the third day when they’d both been too tired and rather sore to head back to the bedroom that Severus had wandered down to his lab as Remus fell asleep reading on the sofa. Remus had had to search for him when he woke around dinner time and found the man buried in his experiments with the Wolfsbane formula. “I was just thinking maybe now would be a good time to break for a meal?” Remus asked gently. While Severus had certainly not neglected him, the man was not as good about taking care of himself.

Severus glanced over at the tray Remus had made up for him and then looked back at the liquid seething in his cauldron. “If you give me a few minutes to finish bottling this, we will have the rest of the evening to ourselves. And what, I wonder, do you think we should do with our last night alone?” Severus asked.

Remus shivered at the sultry tone. “Oh, I could think of a few things.”

“Hmm, I thought so,” Severus said. He turned his attention to bottling the potion and Remus stepped back to let him move freely. As he worked, Severus said, “What time are we picking Harry up?”

“Actually we were invited over for lunch,” Remus said. They planned to pick Harry up and have a couple days to spend together as a family before their stolen time ran out. “I wonder how the three of them have been doing?” Remus knew Fenrir and Elliott had planned some family outings with Harry. He hoped he and Severus could try a few family outings with Harry as well, though it would be a bit more difficult with Severus’ position. He and Severus had actually talked about a few places they might take Harry. Remus smiled. Even if they could only do one or two things, he was looking forward to a real family outing with his husband and their son.

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“Harry are you sure about this?” Elliott asked. Even though he was as excited as Fenrir, he didn’t want to cause Harry any problems with his future in-laws.

Harry grinned at him over his shoulder. “I asked Narcissa as soon as I got back to Malfoy Manor after our first meeting. I thought you guys might enjoy this. We just have to be careful to get the timing just right.” Harry tossed a handful of Floo powder into the fire. He closed his eyes and shouted, “Malfoy Manor, east wing master suite!” Harry grinned as he smoothly stepped from the fireplace. Apparently he’d been right in thinking he’d have much less trouble with Flooing in his natural form. He stepped to the side so that he wasn’t in the way of Elliott and Fenrir as they Flooed in after him. Seeing Narcissa waiting for them, Harry smiled and walked over to her.

“Narcissa,” Harry said, dropping a kiss on her cheek. Between the wedding planning and her help with his plans for living his own life as Sebastian Snape, he had gotten very close with Narcissa. “How are you today?”

Narcissa smiled at Harry. “Lucius has locked himself in a sitting room and insists he is not to be disturbed until the wedding plans are complete.”

Harry laughed. “Today has gone that well for you has it?” He couldn’t wait to see what new idea Narcissa had had. The woman love planning events and having seen what she’d done with his parents’ bonding, Harry was excited for his own wedding. Of course, Lucius wasn’t always supportive of some of the ideas she came up with which was why she terrorized the poor man when he tried to interfere with her planning.

“Harry, I was thinking,” Narcissa began, but she stopped as Elliott and Fenrir came out of the fireplace. She gave them a more polite, slightly cooler smile than the one Harry had been given, but her tone was friendly when she greeted the two men.

Elliott smiled and Fenrir grinned excitedly. “Thank you,” Elliott said. “We appreciate this tremendously.”

Narcissa’s smile warmed slightly. “We still have a few minutes before we can get to the sitting room if you’d like to have a seat? I can get drinks if you’d like anything?”

Elliott smiled and refused. He and Fenrir walked over to the seating area next to the fireplace. They fidgeted and kept looking at each other and grinning. Harry smiled at them fondly then looked back at Narcissa curious about what she’d started to say before Fen and Elliott arrived.

“Harry, as we have a few minutes, I was wondering if you’d like to discuss something?” Narcissa asked.

Harry was even more curious. “Of course. What is it?”

“Well, as you know, this is the suite you and Draco agreed you’d like to live in after the wedding and I thought it only reasonable to begin shaping it to your tastes,” Narcissa said. She walked over and wrapped an arm around Harry’s arm and gently led him to an open doorway. “Of course you will want to discuss things with Draco, but I thought perhaps you could see the suite for yourself to begin to get some ideas of what you’d like to do with it.”

Harry nodded and looked around the room. He’d been too focused on the reason he was at Malfoy Manor to pay any attention when he first arrived. It was a nice room, but a bit bland for Malfoy Manor. There was not much color in the room and what color there was tended to be pastel. It was rather feminine to Harry and he had a hard time imagine him and Draco living in these rooms. “Well,” Harry said. He cleared his throat trying to think of a polite way to voice his opinion. “It’s rather, uh…”

Narcissa nodded. “Feminine? I should think so. These rooms were last used several decades ago by one of Lucius’ great-great aunts. It will be easy enough to make cosmetic changes. I was thinking we could remove the white paint from the walls. The wood underneath is a bit dark, but there are plenty of windows as you can see so there will be plenty of natural lighting.”

Harry nodded. “I think we can safely say the white has to go. I’ll check with Draco, but I imagine he’ll feel the same.” Harry paused, wondering what Draco’s current bedroom in Malfoy Manor looked like.

Narcissa showed Harry around the suite and made suggestions here and there. They didn’t spend much time on the tour, but Harry planned to come back with Draco and discuss some ideas. He was excited when he found out the suite had connecting bedrooms. Apparently it was originally designed so that a married couple could have separate bedrooms, but Harry was hoping Draco would consider turning the second bedroom into a nursery. He couldn’t imagine Draco would want to sleep in separate rooms anyway. Harry was amused at the way Narcissa managed to seem calm and practically beam in happiness at the same time when he mentioned the idea.

When they finally returned to the sitting room where Elliott and Fenrir were waiting, they found the two men standing in front of the fireplace looking concerned as they talked in hushed voices. “Is everything alright?” Harry asked, worried that something had happened while he’d been talking with Narcissa.

Elliott and Fenrir turned as one and relief spread across their faces. “Ah, Harry,” Elliott said. “We were just wondering if you would be finished soon.” He glanced at a grandfather clock standing against the far wall of the sitting room.

Narcissa nodded. “It should be time to head downstairs if you’re ready.”

Fenrir grinned and slipped an arm around Elliott’s waist. “Absolutely!”

Narcissa smiled slightly at his enthusiasm. “If you’ll follow me?”

Harry looked around curiously as they left the master suite. He’d not been in this part of the manor before. He was relieve to see the hallway was not done in the same style as the master suite. He loved the warm wood floors and the burst of color from the fresh flowers in the tall vases scattered along the hallway. He followed along as Narcissa turned down a smaller hallway and then led them down what appeared to be a back staircase. Harry would have to remember this was here when he moved into the Manor with Draco. He smiled slightly thinking of all the reasons he could need to use a back staircase.

Reaching the end of the staircase, Narcissa paused and turned to the three men following her and indicated they would need to be very quiet before slipping into a main hallway on the lower floor of the Manor. She moved quickly and Harry could feel Fenrir and Elliott on his heels as they walked through the door she held open for them. Narcissa stepped inside and shut the door part way.

“You have only a few minutes to hide. I’ll return when it is safe for you to leave,” Narcissa said quietly. She slipped back into the hallway and shut the door behind her.

“Well, behind the curtains is rather obvious, isn’t it?” Fenrir muttered as he looked around the room, his eyes darting here and there.

“What about-no, that wouldn’t work very well,” Elliott said. His eyes also bounced around the room as he frowned.

Harry grinned. “I have that covered actually.” His grin widened as the two men turned to him wearing curious expressions. He was so used to the raised eyebrows and suspicious looks from his father and Lucius, it was strange to see the open curious expressions. Even Remy usually gave him a slightly knowing grin when Harry said things that surprised him, as if he had an idea of what Harry was up to. “I found this really old spell and modified it slightly. I know it works on two people and I guess we’re about to find out if it works on three. If you trust me?”

Fenrir looked at Elliott and then shrugged. Elliott sighed and smacked Fenrir on the chest with the back of his hand. “Of course we do, Harry,” Elliott said. He started to say something else, but they heard voices from the hallway.

“Okay, let’s get over here. We should still be able to see and hear each other without other people seeing or hearing us,” Harry whispered quickly. He motioned for them to join him on the far side of the room from the sitting area. With one man to either side of him, he quickly muttered the spell. He managed to finish just as the door opened. He held his breath as he watched himself walk into the room with his parents and Lucius and Narcissa. He smiled as he heard Elliott and Fenrir gasp when Lucius looked around the room and his eyes skipped right over them. Harry was tempted to test whether or not they could talk to each other without the others hearing, but then thought better of it. If they could hear him, this would be a bad time to find out.

He glanced at Fenrir and Elliott and found their eyes glued to Remy. Having been there the first time, Harry paid more attention to Elliott and Fenrir than to what was happening in front of him. He’d learned a lot about these two men when he stayed with them. They were kind and caring. Fenrir could be silly and it was so funny watching Elliott deal with him so matter-of-factly. Elliott was a sweet guy. He was always trying to make sure Harry had enough to eat. He made sure Harry had his coat when they went to the zoo and generally fussed over him. It was rather nice Harry found, once he’d gotten used to it.

Hearing a strange sound from Fenrir, Harry turned to him in concern. Fenrir was frowning and biting his lip as if to keep from saying anything. Looking to see what had upset him, Harry saw nothing out of place. He was sitting around the coffee table with Remus and Severus as they read over the parchments for the blood adoptions ritual. After a few moments Harry realized Fenrir and Elliott had not seen him before he’d been adopted by Remus. They’d never seen him as Lily’s son.

Harry reached over and gave Fenrir’s hand a quick squeeze. Fenrir shot him a small smile and squeezed back. They continued to watch, Fenrir and Elliott the ritual taking place and Harry their reactions. Then Remus gasped and Harry turned back to see him worry over whether or not Harry would become a werewolf.

“Oh, Remy,” Elliott murmured sadly. Then he gasped and slapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes wide. Fenrir shot him a panicked look, then both men turned to Harry as one.

Harry smiled. “I guess it does work on talking as well,” he said quietly. He didn’t want to push the boundaries of the spell.

“Perfected the Wolfsbane formula?” Fenrir murmured, eyes still on the ritual. “I didn’t realize Severus was the one who created the new version of the Wolfsbane potion. I know he mentioned changing it for us, but I thought he was simply adapting a potion that already existed.”

“You didn’t even hesitate, Harry?” Elliott asked. “Even with the new formula, it isn’t easy being a werewolf. I know you are hoping to help make it better after the war, but…” Elliott trailed off and shot Harry confused look.

Harry shook his head. “It wouldn’t matter. It would be worth it to be Remy’s son,” Harry said firmly.

Fenrir lifted an arm and wrapped it around Harry’s shoulders, squeezing Harry against his side. Elliott lifted a hand and ran it through Harry’s hair. Harry flushed slightly. He’d gotten used to being around these two men, but they hadn’t been very physically affectionate with him before. Not that they went out of their way to not touch him.

The three men watched turned back to watch as the ritual started. “Oh!” Elliott said and then smiled. Seeing the looks his mate and grandson gave him, his smile widened. “Doesn’t that glow look familiar?” Seeing them look at the glowing chalices and then turn back to him in confusion, Elliott explained, “I’ve seen a couple of other adoptions and the chalices didn’t glow that color nor that brightly. That particular glow,” Elliott nodded toward the chalices, “I’ve only ever seen at Remy’s bonding.”

“Oh!” Harry murmured. He smiled at the thought that the bond was already in place when he was “born” as Severus and Remus’s child. Hearing Elliott and Fenrir gasp, he turned his attention back to the ritual. He blinked as he watched himself change. It was so strange to watch. Fenrir’s arm tightened around his shoulders and Elliott’s hand came up and gently gripped Harry’s shoulder above Fenrir’s hand as Harry watched himself grimace in pain at the first wave of changes began. His features blurred slightly and slowly shifted. Harry frowned as he heard himself groan in pain as he hadn’t remembered making a sound. The change also hadn’t seemed to take that long when he’d been experiencing it.

Harry turned his attention from himself to his parents. He was surprised to see Severus reach out and rub a hand up and down Remus’s back as Remus held a hand against his mouth, visibly upset at the pain Harry was in. Remus dropped his hand from his mouth and reached over to hold Severus’ other hand. It was a slightly awkward position, but Harry thought they looked so sweet together. He half smiled wondering what his father would think about them being referred to as a cute couple. Harry’s attention was pulled back to himself as he gasped in pain and continued to change. “Really,” Harry murmured to Elliott and Fenrir, who appeared as upset as Remus that Harry was in pain, “it wasn’t that bad. Not pleasant, sure. But it wasn’t that bad.” Elliott just gave him a sad smile, as if Harry was lying to try to reassure them. Fenrir just gave Harry a little squeeze and kept his attention on the changes.

Finally the change was complete and Harry, both then and now, gave a small sigh of relief. He was glad he’d remembered not to stand near the mirror as Severus summoned it over so Harry could see the changes. He glanced at his grandparents and saw they were almost as dazed as his parents had been at the changes. Harry was a little surprised at that as they had already seen him in his natural form after Remy had adopted him. Then he realized, it wasn’t the changes they were dazed by.

“We have a grandson,” Fenrir murmured. Harry thought his voice sounded suspiciously like he was about to cry.

“So we do,” Elliott whispered as he moved his hand from Harry’s shoulder to Fenrir’s shoulder and squeezed.

Harry bit his lip to keep from laughing. Apparently cute couples ran in the family.

Hearing Harry and Remus’s comments about Harry’s eye color, Fenrir turned to Elliott with a grin. “Did you hear that, honey? Remus’s son has your eyes. No wonder they decided to name him after you,” Fenrir teased. Elliott smiled and gently reached up to tug lightly on Fenrir’s hair. They both turned back to the scene in front of them as the three in front of them sat down so Remus could explain about Fenrir and Elliott. Harry shifted, a little uncomfortable as he wasn’t sure how Remy would feel having Elliott and Fenrir hear this part. Not that Remus said anything bad about them or anything. It was just a very private moment for Remus.

Fenrir snorted and grinned at his mate and grandson. He’d noticed the Potion Master’s relief at hearing he and Remy could still have kids. “Looks like you’ll be getting those brothers and sisters you’d hoped for, Harry.” Harry grinned back, blushing slightly. Elliott smiled at their antics, but he and Fenrir both became serious as Remus began explaining what really happened the night he was attacked as a child and the events that followed. Fenrir gave a soft growl when Severus asked if Remus believed them but it cut off as Remus explained he remembered his childhood before the attack.

“I didn’t realize he remembered the cottage,” Elliott murmured. He blushed slightly as Remus repeated his comment about Harry having his eyes.

Their attention was drawn across the room as there was a soft knock on the door to the conference room where the next ritual would take place. Narcissa stepped into the room and Elliott and Fenrir both laughed softly as she said, “I must say, Severus and Remus make lovely children.” She gave a soft sigh. “I’m going to have the most beautiful grandchildren!” They laughed again as her comment caused Harry and Remus to blush.

As everyone began to leave the room, Fenrir excitedly whispered, “Do you think we could see that ritual too?” He started to follow, dragging Harry and Elliott not paying attention to the slightly alarmed expression on Elliott’s face.

Elliott gently grabbed Fenrir’s arm, trying to slow him. “Fen, I don’t think we should-” Elliott started. He broke off and all three froze as Fenrir bumped into a side table next to the sofa Remus and Severus had sat on earlier and Remus spun around. He looked around the room frantically and all three could feel their hearts beat faster. They held their breath for several long moments as Remus’s eyes scanned the room. Finally they sighed in relief as Narcissa called him and drew his attention. They watched as he looked over his shoulder once more before heading into the conference room and closing the door behind him.

“Sorry,” Fenrir muttered sheepishly as Elliott glared at him. Harry was startled by the glare as for the most part the two had been very loving and cheerful around one another.

“Fenrir Lupin, why would you even think that was something we could watch?” Elliott asked. His voice held more disapproval than anger though both were present. “That is a very private ritual and if I remember correctly no one can be present who is not taking place in the ritual.”

“Sorry,” Fenrir mumbled again. He gave Elliott a look Harry could only describe as ‘puppy-eyes’ and Harry smothered laughter as Elliott huffed and the anger slowly drained away. “Really sorry,” Fenrir murmured as he stepped closer to Elliott, still giving him that look. Elliott sighed and pecked a quick kiss on Fenrir’s lips before sighing again.

“Fen, honey, I know you’re eager to be as much of a part of Remy’s life as you can now that things seemed to finally have worked out as we’d always hoped they would, but,” Elliot sighed once more. “But some things we just can’t get back,” he finished softly.

Fenrir dropped the puppy-eyes look and looked away. “I know.” It was said softly, gruffly. Harry reached out and pulled both men into a hug. It was difficult with two such big men, but he managed as best he could.

“I know it’s not easy,” Harry said. “I know I miss not having all of the normal childhood memories other people get to have, but we have family now and we can enjoy all of the new experiences that come along. And you got to be there for his wedding and his son’s birth. And can be there for the birth of any other kids,” Harry tried to finish lightheartedly.

Fenrir gave a rough, teary laugh and hugged Harry back. “You’re right, kiddo. Of course you’re right.”

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Harry closed the album firmly and grinned in satisfaction. He looked at the other one he’d already finished with and his grin widened. There were a couple more pictures he wanted to add to each, but overall the majority of the work was done. He stood as he heard Remus call his name from downstairs. “Coming!” he shouted. He grabbed his coat and his camera and left his room wearing a wide smile.


	49. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you for reading my fic!  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remus hugged his parents and laughed as he promised to come back some time and visit. He turned from the men standing in the doorway and smiled as he caught sight of his husband and son waiting for him. His smile grew as he repeated the words “husband” and “son” in his mind. He could not believe how lucky he was to have such an amazing family. Even a couple of months ago he would never have been able to imagine having any kind of family and here he was married with a son and he could even start to build a relationship with his parents. He shook his head at the questioning look Severus sent him and looped his arm through one of Severus’ arms. He almost laughed at the bright smile Harry gave Severus when the man acted as if such a thing were a perfectly normal occurrence for him which Remus hoped it would be.

“So Harry,” Remus started, a slightly teasing tone to his voice, “you’ve been rather busy. In just a few days, you’ve managed to take all of your OWLs and most of your NEWTs; you’ve arranged for your grandparents to attend your ‘birth’; and you managed to squeeze in a trip to the zoo and a few other outings. Maybe you’re too tired to go out and about with your parents? Should we just let you sleep after you take your last NEWT today?” He laughed as Harry sent him a horrified look.

Suddenly Harry smirked and sent Remus a sly look. “Well, you are certainly in a good mood. Have a nice honeymoon, did you?” Harry teased back.

“Of course,” Remus said blushing only slightly. He started to continue teasing Harry when he remembered something. “Oh! Severus we didn’t bring the potions.”

Severus shook his head. “I believe we agree this time was strictly for family. We can arrange to meet your parents and the other werewolves before the last meeting before the attack.”

Remus gave Severus a soft smile. “A wonderful idea, Severus.” Remus turned to Harry and they shared a look of amusement when Severus just gave Remus an arrogant look that said ‘I know.’ “When did you have to be at the Ministry for your last NEWT, Harry?”

Harry checked the wristwatch Elliott and Fenrir had bought him the first day he’d spent with them. The watch was simple and masculine and Harry had quickly grown to love it, even if he was still getting used to wearing it. “I should be there in about an hour. Hopefully this one won’t take too long,” Harry said with a grimace. He’d hoped he’d scheduled it early enough that he could still go out for a bit with his parents. They only had a couple days left before their little vacation was over.

“Which NEWT do you have today, Harry?” Severus asked. During lunch he and Remus had tried to catch up on what Harry had been doing, but most of the talk had centered around outings, including a particular one involving Harry and his grandparents sneaking in to watch the adoption ritual.

“Runes,” Harry said with a deep sigh. He didn’t mind ancient runes, but they weren’t really his favorite subject. He sighed again. “I can’t believe I still have to wait another month before I get my results.”

Remus chuckled. “Why don’t we eat dinner out and catch a movie tonight after your NEWT is done? Celebrate you finishing your education?” He glanced at Severus as he said this even though his question was directed at Harry. He and Severus had discussed the three of them making dinner together that night, but Remus worried Harry might not feel up to that after taking a NEWT. Severus gave a slight nod and he didn’t seem upset so Remus figured he thought the same.

Harry grinned. “That sounds great!” Harry had never been to the cinema, but he’s cousin had often gone with his friends and from what he’d heard it sounded like a lot of fun.

“Great,” Remus said. “We can decide what we want to eat after your test. For now, we need to get going or you’re going to be late.”

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Remus and Severus walked around a small public park, talking quietly and enjoying the pleasant day as they waited for Harry to finish his test. They needed to do a bit of shopping, but decided to wait until the next day so they could take Harry with them. They wanted him to buy a few things to personalize his room at Spinner’s End. Even though they were already aware he would be moving into Malfoy Manor with Draco after they were married, Severus and Remus wanted Harry to have a room of his own in their home. Especially as they realized Harry had never actually had his own room before. Not a room that was truly his to personalize and to call home.

After an appropriate amount of time, they headed back to the place they’d arranged to meet with Harry. It wasn’t exactly safe for either of them to be seen around the Ministry so they’d only been able to walk Harry part of the way and then agreed to meet up later nearby. At least with Harry in what he liked to call his natural form, Harry shouldn’t have any problems moving freely around the Ministry.

They were surprised when they arrived to find Harry pacing back and forth, clearly agitated. Remus was worried until Harry heard them approaching and turned to them with a bright smile, his eyes shining with excitement. “You’ll never guess what happened,” Harry said as he hurried over to them.

“Then perhaps we should not guess,” Severus said smoothly. “And you could simply tell us what has happened.”

Harry grinned at him. “Remember how I was complaining about having to wait a whole month to find out what my scores were on the NEWTs I took?” Harry’s grin widened. “Well, since I was the only person taking certain NEWTs it looks like I’ll be getting the results for those NEWTs sooner. And!” Harry rocked back and forth on his heels, clearly too excited to simply stand there as he shared his news. “And! I found out the result for one of my NEWTs already! There will still be an official letter and everything, but I bumped into the man who administered the NEWT and he stopped me to talk…” Harry paused and bounced again. He was so happy and excited he almost couldn’t speak. “I got a perfect score on my Tegmenancy NEWT!” Harry almost shouted as he shared his good news. Then he continued, speaking so quickly Remus and Severus almost couldn’t keep up. “I couldn’t believe it! I actually argued with the man for a bit. I mean, no one gets a perfect score on a NEWT, right? And especially not one that no one else has taken in about 30 years!”

“Congratulations, Harry,” Severus said quietly. He was incredibly proud of what his son had accomplished.

Remus grinned so widely his face hurt. “Congratulations, Harry!” He laughed. “It must run in the family.” He winked at Severus who he saw was nearly beaming with pride. He turned back to Harry and seeing his confusion, he explained, “Severus got a perfect score on his Potions NEWT. That was part of the reason he was able to become a Potion Master at such a young age. The Potion Master who administered the test offered to oversee a research project Severus was considering and encouraged him to sit for his Mastery when it was done.”

“Yeah?” Harry asked turning to his father.

Severus blinked and raised a brow. “How did you know that?” he asked his husband. They had talked of many things, but Severus had never told him that.

Remus blushed slightly. “Ah, well, Lily may have mentioned it when I ran into her in a muggle bookstore one day.” He shrugged. “I think she was excited for you and wanted to tell someone and she knew I wouldn’t go around telling other people we talked about you.”

“I guess it really does run in the family then,” Harry said. When they turned their attention back to them they could see he was still excited and had more to share. “The man who administered the Tegmenancy NEWT is the last Tegmenancy Master and he doesn’t want to die without knowing someone will continue to study Tegmenancy. I had mentioned working on amulets-the necklaces I’d given the two of you, though I didn’t mention that part-and he was excited to see my work he said. So we talked a bit and he said from the sounds of it I could sit for my Tegmenancy Mastery now and do well. Well, we ended up agreeing I’d work on an amulet and when I was ready I’d take it in and use it for my Mastery. I mean, from what he said the Mastery for Tegmenancy is basically create a protective amulet and then spend an entire 24 hours having every just-barely-legal curse thrown at you as possible by several different people. I might even come out of it with a dual mastery for Defense as well as Tegmenancy!”

“That’s great, Harry!” Remus said. He reached out and pulled Harry into a hug.

Severus frowned slightly. He was certainly proud of Harry and didn’t want to ruin the good mood he was in, but he felt the need to point out that now may not be the time for such an endeavor. “Do you think you will have the time for such a project at the moment, Harry?” he asked carefully. He was pleased Harry’s mood didn’t immediately drop, though his husband did glare at him.

Harry gave his father a small smile. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather I focus on this and not be mixed up in attacks and battles?” Harry teased gently.

“I would certainly rather have you focus on your education and possible career rather than constantly endangering your life. However, I doubt you will simply turn your back on the plans we have made and I don’t want you to get hurt or killed because you are trying to do too much at once,” Severus said, continuing to choose his words with great care.

“Like you do?” Harry said, still gently teasing. He saw Remy was about to interrupt and shook his head at him then turned back to his father. “I can understand and appreciate your concern,” Harry shot his father another small smile so Severus would know he truly meant that, “but I think creating the amulet and then testing it in a Mastery exam would be a huge help with the war. I mean if I can create an amulet that can stand up to the Mastery exam, wouldn’t that be a great thing to have with all of the people trying to kill me?”

Severus gave his son a thoughtful look. While that thought had crossed his mind, he still didn’t want Harry to get hurt because he’d exhausted himself working on an amulet and was ambushed or suffered another attack like the ones he’d suffered at the hands of Granger and the Weasley witch. He didn’t want to cause an argument, especially as this truly was something to celebrate, but he could not stop himself from worrying. Biting back all of the objections he had, he tried to think of something to convince Harry to put off thinking about the Tegmenancy Mastery until after the war.

Harry watched the thoughtful look subtly change and could guess where his father’s mind was going. “I’m not going to overextend myself,” Harry said gently. “I’ve been spending my free time studying and just researching for fun. With NEWTs out of the way, I’ll have plenty of time to work on the amulet without stressing or exhausting myself. I don’t have any kind of deadline or due date for the Mastery exam. It’s just something I’d really like to do and something I’m going to prepare myself for when I have free time. I won’t let it interfere with the plans we have for the war. I mean, what’s the point of getting a Mastery I can’t use because I’m dead or we lost the war?” Harry’s voice was filled with sincerity and reassurance. “The war does come first. This just gives me something to do during those awful periods where we’re just sitting around waiting for the other sides to act.”

Severus gave a deep sigh as he realized Harry was determined to do this. He could hardly blame the boy and really it’s precisely what he would do himself. He gave Harry a stern look. “Be careful and take care of yourself. You have far too many people who care about you to be as reckless as you have been in the past. And if you are so determined to do this,” Severus shot Remus a hard look, daring the wolf to comment on his next words, “I offer whatever assistance you may need. Certainly, I could help you test an amulet you create before you decide to use it for the Mastery exam.”

Harry grinned and blinked rapidly. Despite all of the changes in his life in the last several months, it still hit him hard to realize he truly did have people who cared about him and would be upset if something happened to him. Even when he’d thought Hermione and Ron were his closest friends a part of him had been certain no one, including Ron and Hermione, would miss him if he died or would care at all if he were gone. He stepped away from Remus and deliberately wrapped his arms around his father’s shoulders in a tight hug. It took a long moment before Severus carefully lifted his arms and gently squeezed Harry back. Harry held on for a long moment. The few times Harry and Severus had hugged outside of the Three Souls Ritual, they had been quick, spontaneous hugs. This was different. Harry slowly pulled back before taking a small step back. He looked Severus right in the eyes and took a deep breath before saying something he’d only ever before said to Draco, despite having a few others he needed to share the words with. “I love you, Father,” Harry said softly.

Severus was completely caught off guard. “I-” He broke off and cleared his throat. “Harry, I-” Severus swallowed and actually felt the sting of tears in his eyes. He never thought Harry would ever say those words to him. Even as he’d hoped they could grow close and perhaps even share a father/son relationship, he was certain he’d done too much damage for Harry to feel that way. Even after the ritual and discovering Harry cared for him, he was certain he’d never hear the words. He wasn’t sure he deserved to hear the words from Harry.

“It’s okay,” Harry said softly with a teary smile. Just as he hadn’t needed to hear the words from Draco, he didn’t have to actually hear the words from his father. He knew the emotion was there and that was all that truly mattered. He felt loved and that was so amazing to him all on its own that the words, while nice, weren’t needed.

Severus cleared his throat again and gave his son a half-hearted glare. “You get that from Remus apparently,” he grumbled. “Of course I love you, Harry. You’re my son.” The words were gruff and even though Severus was obviously uncomfortable saying them it was clear he was sincere.

Harry grinned and blinked back more tears. He gave a soft laugh and blushed slightly as his stomach let out a loud growl. Remus gave a soft chuckle and Harry looked over his shoulder at him and saw Remus was teary eyed as well. Remus cleared his throat and said, “I think we should think about what we’d like to do for dinner before the monster in Harry’s stomach comes after us.”

Harry laughed and blushed a bit brighter. “I’m fine with whatever we come across, though I think I’m more in the mood for a proper sit-down type meal rather than fast food.” He shrugged and looked around trying to see what might be in the area.

“We passed a nice little place on the way here that you might like, didn’t we, Severus?” Remus said. He stepped over and wrapped an arm around Severus’s arm and rubbed his other hand on Severus’s chest. Given that they were in a muggle area he knew he’d have to keep the displays of affection to a minimum when others were around, but for the moment the three of them were alone and Remus was reveling in the opportunity to freely enjoy being with his family.

Severus hummed in agreement. “Small, but it seemed like it might still offer plenty of privacy.”

“And given the scents drifting out of the door, I do believe the food will be delicious,” Remus said with a grin as Harry’s stomach growled again.

Harry laughed. “Let’s go then!”

The three of them set off at a comfortable pace. They weren’t in any hurry though Harry’s stomach continued to growl as they made their way to the little restaurant Severus and Remus had seen earlier. When they arrived, Harry had to agree with Remy. The scents coming from the door was nearly enough to make him embarrass himself. Though the place was obviously popular, they didn’t have to wait long to be seated and they were soon settled in at a small table towards the back of the dining area. Harry nibbled on the bread the restaurant left on the table as they waited for their dinner. He was past being surprised at how comfortable he was with his parents by now, but he loved how easily the discussion flowed as they waited. They kept things light and muggle-friendly as they talked and somehow the talk turned to what kind of outings Harry would like to go on in the time they had left. Harry cautiously suggested they spend some time just sitting around the house together at some point and was relieved when his parents didn’t object. In fact, from the little smile Remy gave Severus, Harry suspected they’d already talked about spending a day at home together. The discussion slowed a bit as their dinners arrived and Harry worked to finally quiet his stomach.

When the meal was finished and everyone was satisfied, the three slowly wandered in the direction of the theater Severus and Remus had noticed on their way to meet up with Harry. They didn’t say much as they walked though they did discuss the possibility that nothing would be playing that would interest them or that they may have missed the next showing of anything that might interest them. When they finally arrived, they took some time to look over the movie posters on the outside of the theater. Not living among Muggles, none of them were sure what movies were out or what any of the movies were playing were about. They finally agreed on a movie that appeared to be a comedy from the tag-lines on the poster. It seemed light-hearted and fun and that was just what they needed to put the war even further out of mind. They were a bit early, but it didn’t appear they would have to wait too long.

Severus purchased a huge box of popcorn for Harry and a smaller one to share with Remus. He also purchased a few candies he noticed Remus looking at and ignored the man’s objections that they didn’t need anything as they’d just eaten. Once drinks were decided on, they made their way around to the theater their movie was playing in. They snacked and spoke softly as the previews played. The previews repeated twice before the lights dimmed and the movie began to play.

Ten minutes into the movie, Harry had lost all interest in the popcorn on his lap. He turned to his parents and said in a shaky voice, “I don’t think I want to watch this one.” Remus and Severus quickly agreed and the three of them quickly left the theater. What had seemed like a light-hearted comedy was apparently a tragic drama of some sort that had quickly reduced half the audience to tears.

Harry felt guilty about the large popcorn his father had bought so instead of tossing it out, he took it with him and nibbled on a piece here and there as they walked away from the theater. No one said anything for a while as they left the theater behind them except for the occasional murmur about which way to turn. As they walked, the buildings became older and cracks began to appear in the sidewalk. “The popcorn is pretty good at least,” Harry said finally, wanting to get away from the mood that seemed to have followed them from the theater.

“Quite good,” Remus said. He popped a piece of his own popcorn into his mouth and chewed slowly as he tried to think of something more to say. Before he could come up with anything, a building came into view that caught his eye. He stopped as he read the sign and then grinned at Harry. “What do you say we try again? We’ll just make sure to ask before buying tickets this time.” He gestured to the discount theater he’d seen with its brightly lit sign listing second run movies. Harry turned his head and looked at the theater warily. He wasn’t sure he was up for another nasty surprise. Remus started walking again and said, “We can asked for a recommendation, Harry, and if nothing sounds good we can just continue on our way home.”

Harry shot Severus a look, wanting to make sure he was okay with the change of plans. “Unless you’d rather simply head home?” Severus asked with a slight frown. Harry shook his head and followed Remus up to the ticket booth. There weren’t any people in line and Harry wondered if there were any movies starting soon. The attendant at the ticket booth was a nice older man who shook his head in sympathy after hearing about their previous attempt to catch a movie that evening. He was apologetic when he mentioned the theater was playing only family movies at the moment, but he was happy to make a couple of suggestions for them. He even gave them a small summary of a couple movies they expressed an interest in. They’d finally decided on a movie when Harry noticed the play times.

“Oh, but we’ve missed the last showing,” Harry said with a frown.

“Not at all,” the older man said with a gentle smile. “We don’t play the movies if no one has bought a ticket for that showing. Since we’re playing mostly movies parents want to bring children too, most of the later showings aren’t selling tickets. It looks like you three will have the theater to yourselves so it’s not a problem to get a late start. What’s say we start the movie in…fifteen minutes? Gives everyone a chance to visit the restrooms and grab some fresh popcorn.” His smile grew as he saw Harry try to stealthily toss his bag of popcorn into the bin to one side of the ticket booth.

Fifteen minutes later they were once more sitting in a theater watching previews. Despite not being the least bit hungry after dinner and then snacks at the first theater, they’d once more gotten popcorn and drinks though they’d gotten smaller sizes. It seemed rude not to when the theater was willing to play a movie just for the three of them. Since they were the only ones in the theater, they decided to sit in the top row this time and Harry smiled as he stretched his legs out in front of him. He was still in his natural form and he enjoyed having the extra bit of legroom.

The previews were all for family and kids movies similar to the one they were going to watch and Harry and Remus laughed a few times at the trailers. Harry sneaked a quick peek at Severus and wondered if he was going to be bored. It was hard to tell from his expression what he was thinking and Harry worried for a moment before smothering a laugh at the expression that suddenly crossed Severus’ face. The raised brow and look of skepticism just seemed so out of place to Harry considering the types of movies being advertised.

Finally, the lights dimmed and the movie began. Harry quickly decided this movie was a far better choice than the first one. The opening credits had him laughing and he love the adult humor subtly mixed in with the children’s humor. He could see why the ticket attendant said it was a movie for adults as well as children. As much as Harry liked the movie, he thought the best part was probably catching Severus chuckling a few times. Remus was out right laughing right along with Harry. Knowing he wasn’t the only one enjoying the movie, Harry relaxed and lost himself in the story playing out on the screen. Time passed quickly and Harry was surprised when he glanced at his watch as the end credits began.

It was getting late as they left the theater and the ticket box was closed so they didn’t get a chance to thank the older man for his suggestion. Harry loved Remy’s suggestion that they come back again and let the man know how much they’d enjoyed the movie. He thought after the war was over and they didn’t have to worry so much about who might see them, it might be nice to bring Fenrir and Elliott to a movie with them. Harry smiled at the thought of doing a whole family outing with his family. His smile grew thinking about also inviting Draco and Draco’s parents. He wondered what Narcissa and Lucius might think of the types of movies this theater played.

As they turned up the street and started towards Spinner’s End, Harry smothered a yawn. He was impressed with the number and variety of spells Severus had layered along the street over the years. To muggles and even skilled witches and wizards, the street looked dirty, dilapidated and deserted. Admittedly it wasn’t the best neighborhood and the houses were rather old in this part of town, but under the illusions that seemed to envelop the entire block there was a clean street lined with houses that were clearly loved and well-kept.

Catching Harry yawning again, Remus smiled as they walked up to the front door. He didn’t think he would ever get used to something as simple and as wonderful as coming home with his husband and son.


End file.
